The Pressures of Life
by S. Chensu and Luff
Summary: Yugi and co. are struggling to keep up with mixed up emotions, but what happens when Pegasus tries to desrupt their lives and make everything even worse than it already is...? mm relationships, Yaoi etc. REPOSTED Chapter 18 up
1. The Beginning

Right, as you all well know, my story was deleted. Now back by popular demand, here is my new (and hopefully improved) episode 1!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_Blah_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning:** Swearing, sex (male/male relationships) and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

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**Episode 1 – The Beginning**

It was a quiet and peaceful evening at Domino State Park, the late summer sun setting behind the trees. The air was buzzing with insect life, bees collecting the last of the day's nectar and Dragonflies gliding around lazily, taking in the remaining sun's warmth. Everything was how you would expect it to be; the occasional couple walking by the lake, enjoying the time they had in each other's company.

It was the last day of school before the summer holidays began for Domino High students. Yugi, Yami, Bakura, Ryou, Joey, Téa and Tristan were all hanging out at the park together, coming up with plans for what they could do during the summer holidays.

Joey sighed as he fell back onto the grass. He had just chased Tristan around the park several times for taking his Red Eyes Black Dragon out of his deck earlier on that day during a duel they had had. Joey had spent most of his time snapping at everyone who had tried to talk to him, suspecting anyone and everyone of taking his Red Eyes.

"I swear, Tristan, if you _ever_ do that again, I'm gonna kill ya!" Joey panted, still trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry man, I couldn't help it! It was just calling out to be taken…" Tristan laughed at the exasperated look he was getting from Joey. "Well, that just proves you should take better care of your stuff!"

Joey ignored this, deciding that he had nothing smart to say back. Instead, he changed the subject.

"Ahh…ten whole weeks of vacation!" He gushed. "Imagine the kind of chaos we can create!"

"You won't be doing anything of the sort with the stuff that we've planned!" Yugi stated, indicating his notebook. He had taken it upon himself to write down all the ideas they had for the holidays, and sorely regretted it afterwards. He had been reduced to holding his wrist, which had started to ache. "I've used up ten pages in this book, so I think that should be enough to keep you out of trouble!" He winced slightly as he moved his wrist with his other hand, trying to loosen it up. "I hope I don't get RSI…" (For all you simpletons out there, RSI is Repetitive Strain Injury)

"We'll do something about that when we get home." Yami said, prodding Yugi's wrist gently with his finger.

"Ow, yeah, hi, that hurts!" Yugi said, annoyed.

"Sorry…"

Téa cleared her throat. "Ah–_hem_. Yeah, anyway, knowing Joey though, he'll probably get himself into trouble one way or another…" She snuck a sideways glance at him.

"Hey, just because I said I was going to cause chaos, that doesn't mean-"

"Alright already!" Yami said, who had been inspecting Yugi's wrist. He let go, and Yugi squeaked. He looked exasperatedly at him. "Yugi, stop moaning. Téa, don't tease Joey. And Joey, stop being so…_talkative_. Don't give me that look!" He snapped, as he spotted Yugi giving him the puppy-dog eyes.

"I think we should get going guys." Ryou spoke up, who had been watching the conversation with amusement. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, and I'm going to miss my daily dose of TV!" Bakura said, having just checked his watch. He was absolutely amazed that such contraptions existed, and wouldn't be seen without one.

"Oh, is that all you think about?!" Ryou scowled at him, but just ended up laughing because Bakura put on one of his sweetest faces, which made him look really weird.

"That's not all I think about-" He started, but was soon cut off by Ryou.

"OK, let's go then! See you sometime. Call me!" He said hurriedly, before grabbing Bakura by the arm and dragging him out of the park.

"O-_kay_…" Téa said, giving them a weird look as they left. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you guys soon. I'll call you some time. See you!" She was about to leave when Tristan called,

"Hey, wait for me! I'll go with you."

"Oh, OK then." She said, smiling.

"See you around guys." He said, before walking off with Téa.

Yami, Yugi and Joey waved goodbye before getting up themselves, Yami helping Yugi to stand.

"Listen, I gotta run. My dad's coming home tonight, and Serenity wants me to be home before he arrives." Joey explained. "See ya later, guys." He then turned around and ran out of the park.

"I suppose we should get going too, then…" Yugi said. He sighed, looking depressed.

"What's wrong, Aibou? It's not what I said, is it?" Yami asked, worry etched on his face.

"No, it's something else…" He said, and started to walk away. Yami tried to see what he was thinking, but Yugi was blocking his mind. He stood there thinking for a moment, before running to catch up with Yugi, not wanting him to walk by himself.

----------

"Keep still, Yugi!"

When Yami and Yugi got home, the first thing Yugi's Grandpa did was bandage his wrist.

"I can't help it, it hurts!" Yami sighed. He was currently holding Yugi's arm straight, and was trying hard to stop him from moving it.

"There!" Grandpa tucked in the end of the bandage and let go of his wrist. "Now, get to bed. That wrist should be better in the morning." They said goodnight and walked slowly up the stairs.

It was five minutes later and Yugi was still attempting to get into his pyjamas, his wrist making it impossible to get his top on.

"Argh!" Yami popped his head round the door, to find Yugi sitting on his bed, his top half done up and a huge scowl on his face.

"What's wrong, Yugi?" Yami walked in and sat next to Yugi. He soon realised what the problem was, though, and starting doing up the rest of the buttons on his shirt. Yami looked back at Yugi's face to see that once again he was looking depressed. "Yugi, what's wrong?" He looked up into his Yami's face and shook his head.

"Nothing." He said quietly, and he got into bed. Yami sighed and got into bed as well.

----------

Yami tossed and turned in his bed. He was struggling with his thoughts and emotions, trying to make sense of something that seemed endless.

_Will Yugi find out how I feel about him? I love him, but I don't want to hurt his feelings…and does he feel the same way about me? How can I ever find out… He's so tight with his mind barriers, I can never read his thoughts, but I can't just say it to his face… Oh Yugi! _He sighed in frustration, once again turning over in his bed, so that he was now facing Yugi, who was sleeping on the other side of the room. Slowly he fell into a fitful sleep, full of images of what would happen if he told Yugi how he felt.

Yugi was also awake, although not because he couldn't sleep. He could tell Yami was worried, he could feel his restlessness. He stayed awake for hours, not wanting his Yami to be in so much discomfort, but what could he do? Eventually he fell to thinking about his feelings, hoping that what he had said at the park would give some hint as to what he was thinking, what he was feeling…

I wish Yami knew how I feel about him, I don't think I can stand this for much longer…I love him more than I had ever imagined… Oh, he's so ignorant! I just wish he knew, I don't care if he feels the same!

He felt a cold tear trickling out from the corner of his eye. He felt so lonely…but he didn't want to hurt Yami's feelings. Eventually he fell asleep, his pillow wet from his silent tears.

----------

"Bakura, what the _fuck_ did you think you were doing?!"

When Bakura and Ryou got home, the first thing Ryou did was start screaming his head off, not troubling to keep his voice down.

"Look Ryou, I'm fed up of having to keep this a secret! I don't see why we can't tell them!" Bakura glared up angrily at Ryou from his position on the sofa.

"Oh, and how do you think they'll react?" Ryou fumed. "They're not just gonna let it pass! They'll think we're…" He paused, unable to think of something, _anything_ to say. He started pacing the floor.

"Gay?" Bakura suggested.

"No, you idiot! OK, they'll think we're gay-"

"Which we are."

"I know that, shut up! They'll think we're…I dunno…weird!"

"_Weird_?!" Bakura laughed. "Ryou, if you really love me, then you won't care about what the others think!"

"Oh, just-" Ryou cried out in frustration and ran up the stairs to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Bakura let out a long, steady sigh and followed him up.

He found Ryou lying on his bed, sobbing into his pillow. Bakura felt suddenly guilty. He ran up to Ryou and pulled him into a tight embrace. Ryou, instead of backing off, wrapped his arms around Bakura, and cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ryou…" Bakura whispered in his ear. He lifted Ryou's face up and wiped away his tears.

"Bakura-" But he was cut short by Bakura's lips pressed against his. Their embrace tightened, forcing them to fall backwards onto the bed. They broke apart, and for a long time they just stared into each other's eyes, their bond growing strong by the minute. Eventually Ryou snuggled up into Bakura's chest, pulling the blanket over the two of them. Bakura smiled, bringing Ryou closer to him. He kissed his forehead, Ryou wriggling slightly as he did so. Bakura sighed with contentment, and gradually fell asleep.

----------

"Joey, what took you so long? Dad will be home in a minute!" Serenity was not pleased when she opened the door to find her brother leaning against the doorframe, covered in sweat and grass stains. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just run a mile. "Come on, we've got to get you cleaned up!" And with that, Serenity grabbed Joey's arm, dragging him inside and up the stairs. She ordered him into the bathroom and said she wouldn't let him out until he had had a shower. She dug through his drawers looking for a clean set of clothes, eventually finding some right at the bottom. _God, I really have to get Joey to clear up his drawer at some point… _She thought to herself. It was only then she realised that he actually kept all his clean clothes in the cupboard, so she then proceeded to empty his clothes from the drawer and into the wash basket.

About five minutes later Joey came out of the bathroom, hair dripping and a towel wrapped round his waist.

"Here." Serenity shoved the clean clothes into Joey's arms and pushed him into his bedroom. "I want you down in five minutes!" She said, before closing the door and going down herself.

"At last, some time to myself!" Joey flopped down onto his bed, taking his towel from his waist and starting to dry off his hair. He fell deep into thought, thinking about recent events, things that weren't quite normal… _I don't know what it is, but…Seto's been looking at me a lot recently. Looking at me weirdly. It all started when Tristan and me were having that duel…_

**FLASHBACK**

"OK Joey, your move!" Tristan sat back after having just destroyed Joey's Flame Swordsman (ATK: 1800 DEF: 1600) with his Firewing Pegasus (ATK: 2250 DEF: 1800).

"What?!" Joey sighed, and drew a card from his deck. His face split into a grin and he slapped the card down onto the field. "Red Eyes Black Dragon (ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000)!"

"No! That totally wipes out my Life Points!"

"Ha ha! In yer face, Tristan!"

"Great, that was a good move, Joey!" Yugi smiled.

"Ah, the great mind of Joey Wheeler strikes again!" He grinned at Tristan's look of annoyance. "Ah, don't be too downbeat, man!" He got up from his chair, turned round and walked straight into Kaiba. They yelled as they both fell tumbling to the floor, Kaiba half-lying on top of Joey. As soon as Kaiba realised what had happened, he turned bright red. Their faces were barely inches away from each other. Luckily, Joey was still half-dazed, so Kaiba quickly got up and offered a hand to help Joey up. He took Kaiba's hand, and stood up. They looked at each other for a moment, before they realised they were still holding hands. They grimaced, and let go.

"Sorry." Kaiba mumbled, before walking off.

_Wow, he's cute…_ Joey thought to himself. _I can't believe I just did that! Why'd I hold onto his hand? Why'd he hold onto mine? Why'd he turn bright red oh my God, why'd I say he was cute?! _He shook his head and turned back to his friends.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Ever since then Seto's been acting really embarrassed around me…but that doesn't make things any better for me. I think he's caught me staring at him, too… Oh, this is such a mess! I still think he's cute…I've actually managed to admit that to myself. Oh well, only time will tell…

Joey finished drying his hair, slipped into his clean clothes, and traipsed down the stairs.

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Luff: Hurray, it's finished at last! Sorry if you think it's a bit weird, but I can't help that.

Yugi: You made me cry!

Luff: Yeah, well… ;;

Seto: I hope I'm in the next episode. How could you talk about me but not include me?

Luff: Oh, for God's sake, you always want to be included!

Seto: 0.o

Luff: And yes, you are in the next episode.

Seto: - Yay!

Joey: Oh God…

Seto: What?

Yami: Oh Ra, will you stop yakking?!

Joey: Umm…no! Seto and Joey start arguing

Luff: Urgh… Well, don't forget to review and tell me what you think! Bye!


	2. Tear

Thanks to all my reviewers of the last chapter! Your support is always greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_Blah_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**

Swearing, sex (male/male relationships), and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

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Episode 2: Tear 

Yugi woke with a start. Probably because he'd suddenly realised he had left his cards on his pillow and now had the Dark Magician stuck to the side of his face, while the Change of Heart was going to gauge his eye out. No doubt Bakura would have appreciated it more if it was Yami's eye that was facing blindness instead. Yugi moved to peel the cards from his face when he suddenly remembered about his wrist hurting. He expected to feel a stabbing pain, but he felt nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to remove the cards, placing them on the bedside table. He looked over to Yami's bed to find that he was already awake and downstairs. No doubt he was cooking breakfast for the smell of sausages, tomatoes and nice crispy bacon was wafting up the stairs.

Yugi decided that the smell was too enticing to be ignored, so he followed his nose down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning, Yami." He said, stifling a huge yawn.

"Good morning, Aibou. Did you sleep well?" Yugi thought this was a strange question for Yami to ask him. Fine, his wrist was bad, but apart from that Yami was the only one who seemed to have been in discomfort the previous night. He then looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall and saw that it was half past eleven.

"Oh! Yes. I didn't realise I had slept for so long." He plonked himself down onto a stool after pouring himself out some milk from the fridge.

"How is your wrist?"

"It's OK now. I think I can take this bandage off."

"Well, keep it on anyway. Here you are." Yami placed a plate down in front of Yugi filled with the aforementioned foods as well as a few scrambled eggs and some slices of toast.

"Thanks, Yami. God, I'm starving!" Yugi picked up his knife and fork and started to eat away at the bacon. Little did Yugi realise, however, that Yami was having a silent argument with himself, working up a slow anger.

_Oh, why don't I just tell him? There's no point in keeping this a secret! But Yugi could hate me for saying, saying how I feel…argh, stupid conscience!_

As a result of his last thought he ended up banging his plate on the table. Yugi looked up, surprised by the sudden movement. He looked at Yami's face, and saw that he was scowling.

"Yami, what's wrong?" Yugi's concerned voice brought Yami back down to earth with a bump, realising that Yugi could have easily read his thoughts and realised what he was thinking about.

"What?"

"I said, what's wrong Yami? You look angry." Yami stared into Yugi's eyes. For a long time he just stood there, entranced by the amethyst orbs.

"_Yaaamiii_?" Yugi waved his arms in front of him, not sure if he wanted Yami to stop staring at him or not.

"Sorry…I'm fine." He said quickly. He sat down, glanced at Yugi for a moment, and started eating his breakfast.

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"ARGH!" Ryou, after glancing at the clock on the wall, screeched and jumped out of bed, causing Bakura to fall on to the floor.

"Wha-?!" Bakura shouted, attempting to untangle himself from the bed sheets. He looked around wildly, wondering why on Earth he was on the floor.

"WE'RE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Ryou shrieked as Bakura picked himself up. As soon as he heard this, he burst out laughing.

"Ryou…it's…the…summer…holidays!" He gasped, laughing uncontrollably. He grabbed Ryou by the waist, who was still running around the room like a headless chicken.

"Ryou, calm down!" He pushed Ryou onto the bed and pinned him down with his hands.

"Ow!" Ryou stopped struggling, and a look of realisation slowly appeared on his face. "_Oh…_"

"That's better. Are you really so excited about going to school? Jeez…" Bakura took his hands away from Ryou's arms, and was about to stand up when Ryou grabbed his arms and pulled him down on top of him. He grinned before locking his lips with Bakura's in a long, passionate kiss. They broke apart for a brief moment so Bakura could make himself more comfortable. He started to caress Ryou's chest gently with his fingers, planting soft kisses on his neck. Ryou shivered with excitement, closing his eyes and enjoying his Yami's touch.

"Oh, Bakura…" He sighed happily. Bakura pressed his lips against Ryou's, fingers still stroking his chest. He opened his mouth slightly, allowing Bakura to explore it with his tongue. He moved his hand away from Ryou's chest, and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him closer to his body. He bit Bakura's tongue playfully, and then explored his Yami's mouth with his own tongue.

Bakura pulled away from their kiss and, looking at the clock, said "Maybe we should get up now."

"Why?" Ryou looked upset. Bakura smiled. He leant towards Ryou's ear and whispered,

"_We can finish this tonight._" He pulled Ryou up off the bed. "_I promise you that_." Ryou smiled, hugged Bakura and gave him one last kiss before they went downstairs.

----------

Yami and Yugi were sitting in the living room, watching the TV. There was a stupid programme on about parasites (AN: did anyone watch it?), showing the most revolting pictures of Tapeworms and the like. Suddenly an image of this wriggling leech appeared on the screen, causing Yugi to scream. Yami, who had been half asleep, jumped up off the sofa, looking around in alarm.

"Argh! Yami, turn this off! It's disgusting!" Yugi yelled, hiding his head behind a pillow. Yami breathed a sigh of relief, and switched the TV off. He turned and stared pitifully at the quivering lump that Yugi had become, not wanting to risk seeing anything else more disgusting than that. When Yugi thought it was safe, he peered cautiously out from behind the cushion and, seeing that it was, put it back down again.

"Ra, you scared the shit out of me! Are you alright?" Yami asked, laughing at the way he had reacted when Yugi screamed. He sat back down on the sofa.

"Yeah…" Yugi laughed. "I can't believe I screamed at a stupid leech…" He blushed violently. Yami noticed this, and frowned.

"Hey, seriously, are you okay? You look hot." Yugi, however, got the wrong meaning from this statement, and gasped. Yami touched his arm.

"I'm…f-fine." He stuttered. Yami squeezed his arm a little, and then got up.

_Oops!_ Yugi thought, looking up at Yami fearfully.

"Maybe we should go help your Grandpa in the shop. He deserves a break, and plus we haven't got anything else better to do. Yugi?" Yami said, deciding to change the subject at Yugi's uncomfortable look. He turned to look at him. Yugi's eyes were cast down to the floor. He was frowning slightly, and seemed to be deep in thought. A few moments later he looked up to see that Yami was staring at him, looking puzzled.

"What?"

"I said, we should go down and help your Grandpa run the shop. We haven't got anything else to do. Unless you would rather stay here?" Yami raised an eyebrow.

"Oh…yeah. Let's go." Yugi got up and led the way down the stairs, very conscious of the fact that Yami's eyes were boring into the back of his head.

When they walked through the door at the bottom, they saw that the shop was empty, save Grandpa, who was wiping the counter with a cloth. He turned around just as Yami and Yugi walked through the door.

"Ah, hello boys! Got nothing to do?" He asked kindly. Yami nodded his head.

"We were wondering if you needed any help. Mind you, it doesn't look very busy today…" Yugi said, looking around.

"Well, if you wanted to, you could run the shop for me for a few hours. I have some things that I have to do anyway."

"Ok then." Yami said.

"Good, I'll leave you two to it." Grandpa looked seriously at them. "But _be careful_. If you need any help, I'll be upstairs."

"Cool!" Yugi replied. "We'll be fine, don't worry." He smiled at his Grandpa and hugged him.

"See you two later." And with that Grandpa walked through the door, which was still open, and disappeared up the stairs.

After half an hour of sitting around doing nothing, Yugi and Yami decided to play towers (I have no idea what this game is called, but I'm going to call it towers. It's the thing where you get playing cards and stack them on top of each other in the shape of a pyramid. More likely to actually be called pyramids, but hey). They got out their decks and started staking the cards up on the counter. After several tries they managed to build the bottom two rows without them all falling down, and carried on building it carefully, so as to avoid knocking it down again.

They were so busy building this tower that they didn't notice a certain small person walk through the door. At this point Yugi was standing on a stool, and was about to place the last two cards on the top when the certain little person, who happened to be Mokuba, shouted,

"HELLO!" His smile split into a huge grin as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

"ARGH!" Yugi felt his heart skip a beat as he wobbled, toppled and fell backwards off the stool. Yami caught him just before he hit the floor, but he lost his balance and fell to the floor with a crash, pulling Yugi down with him. Mokuba crept round the counter to see what had happened to them, grinning even more when he saw the position they were in.

"Sorry, I'm not _disturbing_ you, am I?" Mokuba said, leaning over the two boys.

"What?" The incident happened so quickly that Yugi and Yami didn't realise what Mokuba was talking about. At least not at first. Yami opened his eyes to see Yugi staring at him, his face barely inches away.

"Urgh…what…? Yugi!" Yami gave Yugi a little shake, who was still looking dazed.

"Oh, sorry Yami…" He rolled off Yami onto the floor beside him, slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. Yami got up slowly as well, and suddenly realised that Mokuba was still standing there watching them. He groaned as his eyesight left him for a moment, his head feeling dizzy and light.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" Yami growled once he had composed himself, glaring angrily at Mokuba.

"Sorry, it was an accident!" Mokuba backed away, suddenly frightened. Yami turned to find that Yugi was still sitting on the floor, his eyes unfocused.

"Yugi?" He asked carefully, kneeling on the floor beside him. Yugi didn't respond.

"Mokuba, stay here until either me or Yugi's Grandpa comes down, OK?" Yami looked steadily at Mokuba. His expression softened and he said, "I'm not mad at you. Now, stay here. I'm going to take Yugi upstairs, I think he's got concussion…" He said, making sure of this by waving his hands in front of Yugi's face. Yami gathered Yugi up in his arms. He groaned as his head fell limply against Yami's chest. Yami ran quickly up the stairs and was just about to open the door when it swung open by itself. Well, that's the impression Yami got until he saw Grandpa standing on the other side. Yami felt suddenly afraid, remembering what Grandpa had told them earlier: _be careful_. Yami bowed his head slightly, looking guiltily at the floor.

"What happened?" Grandpa asked as he stood aside to let Yami in. He noticed the look of fear on Yami's face, and said comfortingly, "Don't worry about me being mad at you. Now, come on, get in here." He smiled at Yami as he watched him entering through the door, not looking quite as ashamed as he had.

"Oh! I told Mokuba to wait downstairs-" Yami started.

"I'll go down. You look after Yugi." And with that Grandpa rushed down the stairs before Yami could say another word. He looked confused for a moment, but shrugged it off.

Yami looked down at Yugi, who was still unconscious. Or at least Yami thought he was, he couldn't be sure. He put Yugi down gently onto the sofa and felt his forehead with his hand.

_Hmm, he doesn't feel hot… _Yami sighed. He didn't know what to do, so he decided he would make some tea for when Yugi woke up. _He must have hit his head pretty hard…I hope he'll be OK._ He turned the flame on under the cooker and put the kettle on top. Yami frowned as he heard quiet footsteps behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see Yugi leaning against the doorframe, looking rather pale.

"Yugi, what do you think you're doing?!" Yami ran up and grabbed Yugi just before he collapsed. Yugi struggled a bit before reluctantly letting Yami steer him back into the living room. He put him back onto the sofa, and was about to leave when Yugi grabbed his arm.

"Yami, don't leave me!" He started to cry. Yami looked sadly at him and knelt beside the sofa, now holding Yugi's hand. With his free hand he wiped away Yugi's tears, stroking his face gently. "Yami, I…"

"What?" Yami asked gently, still stroking his face. He stared deep into Yugi's eyes, trying to discern what he was thinking. He looked pained, like he was trying to decide…_something._ Yami wished he knew what it was.

"I…" Yugi suddenly looked as though he wished he hadn't said anything. He bit his lip, and contented himself with staring at the wall instead. "Never mind." He said quietly, his eyes sparkling with more tears; partly from the continually growing pain in the back of his head from where it hit the floor, but mostly from the pain in his heart.

"What's wrong…?" Yugi shook his head. "Yugi, I can't leave you until I know what's wrong. If you think I may be insulted by it, I don't care. And anyway, I doubt very much that that's the case…" Yugi blushed slightly, turning so that he was facing Yami. He sighed as Yami started to run his finger down his cheek, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation.

Yami looked fondly at Yugi as he saw him relax into his touch, looking infinitely happier than he did before. Yami moved himself so that he could lay his head in front of Yugi's, resting it on his arm.

Yugi took a sharp intake of breath as he felt Yami's warm breath tickling his face. Upon opening his eyes, he found that Yami was now resting his head barely and inch away from his own, staring deeply into his eyes.

Yami started as a loud whistle issued from the kitchen. Sighing, he got up, knowing that this meant the kettle was boiling, and if left any longer it would probably explode. Yami looked sadly at Yugi when he saw the distress on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute…" Yami walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to silence the kettle and make the tea, his stomach growling all the while with nerves.

He made the tea as quickly as he could without making a complete and utter mess of the place, before walking calmly back into the living room and placing the mugs on the table next to the sofa.

"Yugi…" Yami murmured as he knelt down next to the sofa in the same position as he was before; hand on Yugi's face and head resting on his arm.

"Hmmm…?" Yugi's eyes were closed again. He was trying to make himself look as cute as possible, just in case…just in case Yami did have an interest in him. Yugi hesitated before opening his eyes, moving his hand and placing it on top of Yami's.

Yami froze, his heart beating fast. His eyes never left Yugi's as he curled his fingers around Yami's hand, locking them together. Yugi moved their hands so they were by his chest, Yami's palm pressed flat up against it so he could feel his heart beating. Yami thought it was beating faster than his own, but that was the least of his cares.

Yami tugged gently on Yugi's hand, bringing it up towards his face. He hesitated, before pressing his lips against the soft surface of his skin. He melted into the touch as he became intoxicated by Yugi's scent, wanting nothing more than to stay with him forever…

Yugi watched as Yami continued to kiss his hand, wanting more and more for his hand to turn into his face…

"Yami…" Yugi whimpered, his eyes showing his deep desperation for the touch of Yami's lips on his own. He tried to lift his head up, but found that stars started to pop in front of his eyes if he did.

Yugi winced as Yami's hand found its way to the back of his neck, gently stroking the area that had been hit. Yugi's eye lids suddenly dropped as he tried to control the pain, unconsciously pushing his face towards Yami's…

Yami took the chance that appeared before him, hesitantly pressing his lips against Yugi's. He heard Yugi moan softly, shifting himself so that he could be closer to Yami. He complied, slowly climbing onto the sofa so that he was resting lightly on top of him.

Yugi sighed as he pulled Yami down closer, his arms slung around his neck. He dug his face into his Yami's shirt, snuggling into the warmth of his body.

_I love you…_ Yugi felt Yami settling down next to him, wrapping his arms around Yugi's head and waist and kissing his forehead.

_I love you too…_

----------

Mokuba didn't have to wait long for someone to come down again. He watched nervously as Yugi's Grandpa came through the door into the shop, wondering what would happen to him. He was surprised though when Grandpa turned to him and smiled. Mokuba took this opportunity to speak first.

"How's Yugi?" He asked.

"He's still out of it, I think. Yami's taking care of him."

"Can I see him?"

"Not now. I think those two need to spend some time… _alone_ together. You can wait here with me if you like, though." He smiled kindly at him.

"No, I should be going home now. I might come back later, though." As soon as he said this he walked straight out of the shop and into the summer sunshine. _I'm sure glad Yugi's Grandpa isn't mad at me. I should have been more careful… _He thought as he walked home. _And what was that he said about those two needing some time alone together? Are they-_ But his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden harsh and unmistakably cold voice.

"Mokuba! Where were you?" Seto's voice pierced through his mind like a thunderbolt.

"I was down at the Game shop. Yugi had an accident." Mokuba pushed past his brother and walked in through the open door.

"What happened?" Seto asked, following Mokuba inside.

"Yugi fell off a stool and knocked his head really hard on…something, and got concussion. I don't know whether he's all right, though. Yugi's Grandpa said Yami was taking _care_ of him."

"Why was Yugi standing on a stool?" Seto looked puzzled, completely missing the point.

"Oh, they were playing Towers on the counter."

"Should they even be doing that?"

"I dunno." Mokuba shrugged. Seto sighed.

"I suppose we should go see them later, then." Mokuba stopped suddenly, causing Seto to walk into him. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Seto…Um…" Mokuba took a deep breath. "DoyouthinkYugiandYamiaregay?" He blurted out.

"What?!"

"I _said_, do you think Yami and Yugi are gay?" He said slowly.

"Why? Are they?"

"I think they might be." Mokuba looked up at his brother. "Does that help you?"

"Err…" Seto turned pink. He had forgotten that he told Mokuba about…Joey. Seeing Seto's look of embarrassment, he giggled.

"I can't see why you don't just tell him, Seto. I swear he really likes you, too." This just made him depressed.

"No, you don't understand Mokuba! This is really difficult for me!" By now they had arrived at the living room, so Seto flung himself onto one of their many sofas.

"Why don't you just call him? Ask him to come over. Talk to him and see what happens." Seto smiled.

"You never give up, do you, kid?" He sighed. "I'll think about it. Happy now?" Mokuba jumped up and hugged his brother, a look of triumph on his face. Seto returned the hug and watched him run up the stairs to his room.

_I suppose Mokuba is right…but why is he so determined for us two to get together? And why does he think that the fact that Yami and Yugi are…gay…help me? I'm afraid that if we- me and Joey- get together, I'll just end up ignoring Mokuba, and Mokuba means more to me than anything else… _Seto decided that he would go up to his bedroom to think, where he knew he was not going to be disturbed by anyone.

_I've changed so much since that incident happened, and I think Mokuba's noticed. He always does…I don't know how he does it! _He thought as he walked up the stairs. He went into his bedroom and locked the door behind him. Seto stood there for a moment before going over to his bed and lying down on it. _How can Mokuba be so sure that Joey likes me, let alone loves me…but I've never felt this way about anyone else before. And…I'm scared. What would happen if I did tell Joey? He might just freak out… _Seto stayed there, dwelling in his thoughts, and did not move from his position, not even to go down to dinner. All he wanted was Joey; he didn't care about anything else right then. He fell asleep, his dreams filled with images of Joey and him, together, forever…

--------------------------------------------

Luff: The end of another episode!

Seto: Please ignore the sappiness of the last two scenes. Luff was ill when she wrote those.

Luff: Yeah, I felt like shit…oh well, I missed PE because of it! .

Seto: Snort

Luff: Shut it you muppet! I'm better now, so I'm back to my usual self. (I write all of the episode down in my note pad before I write them up on the computer, so at the moment I am about half way through episode three)

Seto: Gulp

Yugi: And remember people, R&R!

----------

Obviously that was written before my story was deleted. Um, as you people who have already read this know, I have changed quite a lot of stuff in this chapter, and especially the bit with Yugi and Yami admitting their luuuuuuuurve for each other. The bit before it was so crap and only nine lines long, so of course I had to change it… And I know these earlier chapters are almost complete shite, but they get better later on! Promise! And I know the bit between Ryou and Bakura was crap as well, but I couldn't be bothered to change it. Well… More I didn't know how to change it… So yeah, please review!


	3. By The Way

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_Blah_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**

Swearing, sex (male/male relationships), and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

**----------------------------------------**

**Episode Three – By the way**

"Seto? SETO!" Seto opened an eye and squinted in the direction that the noise was coming from.

"Oh, good, you are awake." Mokuba said. He looked annoyed, and was holding a tray of God knows what in his hands.

"I hope you weren't intending on throwing that at me." Seto said sleepily, before burying his face into the pillow.

"No." The irritated voice of his little brother swam into his head, Seto not really taking in what he was saying. He just wanted to be left alone, alone with his thoughts of Joey. "I was sent up here to bring you your breakfast." Seto heard Mokuba put the tray down on his desk with a bang. He decided he wouldn't move, so he waited until Mokuba had gone out of the room, jumping slightly as he slammed the door shut. Seto sighed and forced himself to get out of bed, knowing that Mokuba would probably come back in his room again to see if he had got up, and Seto didn't want Mokuba to be in more of a bad mood then he already was.

Half an hour later Seto had showered and changed, and was now searching the garden for Mokuba. If he was good at anything, it was hiding. Seto was about to give up, when he saw his brother sitting on a bench by the pond. He walked over to him and sat down, staring morosely at the water.

"Hey, Mokuba. I'm sorry about ignoring you this morning…you're not angry at me, are you?" Seto turned to look at him.

"Of course I'm not!" Mokuba jumped up and hugged his brother, almost knocking Seto off of the bench. "Ha! Fooled ya, didn't I?"

"You might want to warn me before you do that again! And do you mean I've been worried about you being angry at me all morning and you weren't?" He laughed, and returned Mokuba's hug.

"Come on! I'll race ya back to the house!" And with that Mokuba started speeding away from him, taking the long route back around the edge of the garden. Seto got up and raced after his brother, easily catching up with him. He grabbed Mokuba around the waist and picked him up, the momentum causing them to stagger forward a few metres before Seto managed to steady himself. Mokuba giggled and wrapped his arms around Seto's neck, resting his head on his brother's shoulder. They stood like this for a while, before Mokuba let himself down from his brother's arms and took Seto's hand in his own. They started to walk back to the house in silence, not really wanting to bring up the subject that both of them had on their minds. It was Mokuba who broke the uncomfortable silence.

"So Seto…did you think about it?"

"What, about calling Joey?" Seto sighed. "Yes…I spent most of the night thinking about it."

"Don't you mean him?"

"What?"

"You spent most of the night thinking about him."

"Err…"

"Never mind. And what's your decision?" Mokuba raised his eyebrow questioningly. Seto sighed again, casting his gaze towards the ground.

"I…" Seto still hadn't decided what he was going to do, and although his conscience was telling him that it wasn't a good idea, his heart was screaming out in agony. Mokuba felt his brother's discomfort and squeezed his hand.

"Seto, you know you want to. You know you should. I only want you to happy, because I can see you're not." Mokuba looked seriously at him. "Look, if you don't want to call him, I will." Seto shook his head.

"No. I should be doing this, not you. I know you want to help me, but this is up to me to do."

"But will you do it, Seto?" They stopped. They had now reached the back door, which had been left open to let the air circulate.

"Well, I don't suppose I have a choice, do I?" Seto said jokingly. "Yes, then. I'll…do it." Mokuba beamed up at him and hugged him, then skipped off inside the house. _Kids…they always manage to get their way, don't they?_ Seto thought as he stepped into the dark coolness of the living room. He flopped onto a sofa, and once again fell deep into his own thoughts. _I'm surprised, but I've changed a lot since I became friends with Joey and the others… I suppose they taught me the importance of having someone you can talk to, someone you can trust that isn't part of your own family, which is all I had before… But I'm even more surprised by the fact that Joey has been nice to me, more than any of the others, in fact…especially as I was so horrible to him… I'm pretty sure I can trust him, but does he trust me? Oh, what am I saying! Of course he does…I hope…but does that trust stretch as far as love? I wish I knew, it would save me a whole lot of trouble…but surely if I love him, then I should be able to just pick up the phone and call him, and I'm only calling to invite him over… I won't have to tell him anything else 'till later…but still, if I'm wrong, then I'll lose one of my closest friends, the person I care about the most out of all of them. Oh, why does our love for other people have to be affected by our conscience?! And this isn't getting me any closer to him. I should just pick up that phone and call him! Thinking about it isn't going to get me anywhere!_ Seto was about to pick up the phone when it started ringing. "Oh…" He picked it up and pressed the call button, before pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello, Seto speaking."

"Hi Seto, it's Joey." Came the fuzzy voice from the other end. _Oh shit!_ He thought, before replying hurriedly.

"Oh, hi. What's up?"

"Me and the others were wondering if you wanted to go to the cinema with us." _Great!_ Seto thought. _Now I don't have to go through the trouble of inviting him over! At least not yet…_

"Yeah, OK. When?"

"One-thirty today. We were planning on seeing 'The Bling of The Ring'."

"Oh, I can tell Bakura's going to be very happy about that." Seto heard Joey laugh down the phone.

"Yeah! Mind you, hyped-up Bakura is never a good thing…"

"Hmm. OK then, I'll be there."

"Cool! I'll see you later. Bye!"

"Bye." Seto waited to hear the click before putting the phone down, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. _How long have I got?_ He looked at his watch, and saw that he had an hour and a half left 'till he had to be there. Seto saw this as a good opportunity to get some fresh air, so he ran up the stairs, only to find his way blocked by Mokuba.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked sweetly.

"Joey. He invited me to go to the cinema with him and the others."

"Oh good! And that gives you the perfect chance to invite him over afterwards!"

"Oooh, do I have to?" Seto whined like a little kid.

"Yes! Yes!" Mokuba exclaimed, pushing Seto into his bedroom. "Honestly, Seto, do I have to do everything for you?"

"What?" He said, as he was grabbing his wallet.

"Oh, never mind. Now come on, get going!"

"Aright already!" Seto cried as Mokuba pushed him back out of his room again. "I'll see you later." Seto hugged his brother before walking quickly out of the front door and into the blazing sunshine.

----------

Ryou woke up, and groaned. He clamped his hand to his throbbing head, trying vaguely to figure out what had happened the night before. He then decided that it probably wasn't a good idea, because him having headaches in the morning with Bakura lying totally naked next to him usually told him what it was anyway. He was about to try and get back to sleep, when the phone started ringing loudly. Bakura stirred and moaned at Ryou to get the phone, so he slowly reached his hand over to the bedside table to put his head out of misery.

"Y'ello?" He said, yawning.

"Hi Ryou, it's Téa."

"Oh, hi."

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No."

"OK. Me and the guys were wondering if you wanted to go to the cinema with us later."

"Oh. Yeah, I'll go, I'll just ask Bakura if he wants to come too." He covered the mouth piece and asked, "Did you hear that, Bakura?"

"Yup. I'll go, but it depends on what we're seeing." He wrapped his arms around his Hikari and started kissing his chest. Ryou sighed and put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, we'll both come. What are we seeing?"

"This is one I know Bakura will like." Bakura lifted his head up and leaned closer to the phone. Ryou covered his mouth to stop him from saying anything, while Bakura proceeded to lick it in an attempt to get him to remove his hand. It didn't work though, so he just did it for the sake of it. "We're going to see The Bling of The Ring." Bakura froze and listened raptly, his tongue still halfway out of his mouth. "We'll meet at one-thirty."

"OK. We'll see you then."

"Bye!" The phone clicked and Ryou put it back down on the table. Bakura was still frozen in his tracks, so Ryou decided that he no longer needed to keep his hand in front of Bakura's mouth. Instead he slid his arms round his Yami's waist and kissed him gently on the lips, which immediately brought him back to earth.

"Come on, come on, let's get going!" Bakura jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Ryou sighed, shaking his head as he got out of bed too.

----------

Seto walked into the cinema and felt relieved as the fresh coolness swept over him. He stood there for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dark interior of the building, and then set off up the stairs to find the others. He found them standing by the toilets, and when they spotted him they waved him over.

"Hi Seto!" Yugi said brightly.

"Hi guys." Seto smiled.

"We've already got your ticket for you, so all you have to do is pay for it." Tristan pulled the ticket out of his pocket and held it out. Seto tool out his wallet and riffled through it.

"I only have a fifty dollar bill…" He said, looking apologetic.

"Typical! Trust you to have a couple hundred dollars or so with you!" Joey said, laughing. Seto looked at Joey, surprised by what he said.

"I'll go and change it." Seto said, looking hurt, and turned towards the tills.

"Joey! Why'd you say that?" Téa asked, annoyed.

"It was only a joke! I didn't mean it!"

"Try telling that to Seto." Ryou said. "He looked upset." Joey looked desperately at them, but nobody came to his aid.

"Fine!" Joey fell silent and pouted, clearly not in a good mood. At that point Seto started walking back to them, putting the changed money back into his wallet. He reached Tristan and held out the money for the ticket.

"Here." Tristan took the money from Seto and handed over the ticket. It was only then that Seto noticed Bakura, who was grinning wildly and twitching slightly. "Err, Bakura, are you OK?" Let's just say, big mistake.

"BLING OF THE RING!" Bakura screeched, jumping up and down on the spot.

"Right, that's it!" Ryou shouted. "Excuse us a second while I try and calm him down." With that Bakura was forcefully pushed into the men's bathroom by an annoyed looking Ryou.

After a couple of minutes they had still not come out, so Yugi volunteered to go in and check on them.

"I'll go too. I need to go to the restroom anyway." Yami said, so he and Yugi went in. Yugi had only walked in a couple of paces before freezing in his tracks. Yami, who had not realised that Yugi had stopped, walked straight into him. "Argh! Yugi, what-" And then he saw why. "Oh, Ra…"

Ryou was pushed up against the wall by Bakura, and were too involved in each other to notice Yami and Yugi walk in. That didn't last for long though, as Ryou looked up and spotted them standing there, mouths open and eyes wide. Ryou gasped.

"Shit! Bakura, stop!" Bakura, who had his back to the door, had not noticed Yami and Yugi yet. He looked up at Ryou and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He turned slowly around, before turning bright red. "Err… Hi…" Ryou stepped out from behind Bakura and looked pleadingly at them.

"Please don't tell anyone about…this." Bakura wrapped his arms protectively around Ryou, more from instinct then anything else. Yami smiled reassuringly at them.

"No, of course we won't." His kind face was replaced with a more serious one, and he looked at Yugi questioningly.

_What is it, Yami?_

_Yugi… Do you think we should… tell them?_

_Huh? What?_

_You know! About… us. We might as well, I mean…_

_Oh! Um… OK. If you want, I don't mind._ Yami smiled, gently pulling Yugi into an embrace.

"You don't have to worry… You're not the only ones." Yami said, smiling at them.

"Whoa! Since when did _that_ happen?" Bakura asked, looking at them with surprise.

"Um… yesterday…" Yugi blushed, staring into Yami's chest.

"I'm so glad…" Ryou sounded relieved. "I was so worried that you guys wouldn't…accept it."

"Didn't I tell you not to worry?" Bakura said, grinning slightly. Ryou rolled his eyes.

"We'd better get going." He stated, looking at his watch. They walked out to find an impatient looking group of friends waiting for them.

"At last! You took your time." Joey said. He was happier now, obviously having forgotten about what had happened.

"Sorry." Bakura mumbled.

"Right, shall we get going, then?" Yugi asked, before walking off towards screen eight, which was where the film was being shown (AN: I'm not sure if you have that in your local cinema, but at mine we have screens numbered one to eight, one being the smallest screen showing the oldest films, and eight being the biggest and showing the most recent films).

An hour later they were all watching the film, after about half an hour of trailers (AN: Does anyone have that with their cinemas? Where they're obsessed with showing about half an hour's worth of trailers and adverts before they show the actual film? It's very annoying, isn't it?). They were all sitting on the same row, with Tristan on the end, who was sitting next to Téa, then Joey, Seto, Yami, Yugi, Ryou and Bakura. Yugi was resting his head on Yami's shoulder, while Yami had his arm around Yugi's waist. Bakura was absent-mindedly stroking Ryou's hair, while Joey and Seto spent most of their time glancing at each other nervously (AN: Ahh! How cutesy!) Joey said that Seto could share his popcorn, so they kept accidentally touching hands. It was difficult for them to resist the urge to grab the other's hand and hold it, so they spent most of their time in torment.

Nothing much interesting happened. Ryou and Bakura attracted a lot of attention to themselves, however, because what they were doing caused them to make a lot of strange squeaking noises. This became a disadvantage to Bakura, though, because it meant that he ended up missing most of the movie, so he was constantly asking what was going on.

They walked out of the cinema a couple of hours later, stretching their aching backs and yawning.

"Well, I guess we'll be seeing you guys sometime." Yugi said. They all said their goodbyes and walked off their separate ways. Eventually the only two that were left were Joey and Seto (dun dun dun!). Joey was about to leave when Seto grabbed his arm.

"Wait, I have to ask you something." Seto let go of Joey's arm, turning slightly pink.

"OK. What is it?" Joey smiled sweetly at him, sending a shiver down Seto's spine.

"Um, I was wondering if you wanted to come round my house (AN: understatement of the year) sometime this week." Seto looked hopefully at Joey.

"Yeah, sure. When do you want me to come?"

"Friday, if that's OK with you."

"What time?" Seto thought for a moment.

"About twelve-thirty."

"OK, I'll see you then. Bye, Seto!"

"Bye…" Seto watched Joey walk away down the steps, admiring every aspect of his body. _Soon, Joey…_ He thought. _Soon…_

----------

Joey was feeling happy. The opportune time had been created for him to tell Seto his feelings, and now he just hoped and prayed that Seto felt the same way about him so he didn't end up making a total idiot of himself. He walked home at a steady pace, burying himself deep within his thoughts.

_I'm glad I'm going round Seto's on Friday…I've been waiting for a moment like this to come up for a long time. Far too long. I can't stop thinking about him now, I just want him to be mine. I love him so much…argh, I can't bear this for much longer! Seto! _ Joey's heart was racing. _Friday can't come quick enough…I want him, I need him…this is stupid, I know, but I can't help it…I want him now!_

**----------------------------------------**

Luff: MWOAHAHAHA! Wow, I love saying that. Anyways, sorry about that Mai AF (my friend Mai). I know you want Joey to be yours, but hey, I'm evil aren't I? Yeah, so to make up for it I have let my friends Mai AF and Yugi AF write the author's note for the next episode. Oops.

Yugi: What do you think you were doing?!

Luff: I dunno. It was written in the early morning at school (at about 7:50 am), so it's a bit weird. You'll have to excuse them.

Yami: Nooooooo! We're gonna die!

Luff: Don't worry, it's not that bad. Checks author's note for next episode Oh wait, yes it is…eh-hem.

Yami: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Luff: Bye for now, and don't forget to R&R!


	4. Don't forget me

Mai AF: HI! The authoress has taken a bad risk to let us write this authors note! Mai AF turns evil JOEY WHEELER IS MINE!!!!! SO IS LINK!!!! Téa (Luff: that's another name they have for me) mad she stir tea with pen! 'Isn't that weird'

Luff: Yugi AF was too lazy to write anything so I'm going to do it for her! Yay! And that's not good for her…heh…

Yugi AF: Yugi had a lovely night with Yami. Yami was not bad but I was better. I must resist temptation to flame Luff. Luff is evil. Luff loves groovy pen. Luff is mad, weird & evil.

Yami: Yami agrees. Remember to flame Luff by order of the pharaoh (Yami). FLAME.

Mai AF: My turn to get in bed with Joey, and Link. Joey Link ; (or :, I'm not sure which it's meant to be)

Luff: Right! Disclaimer now, before they go mad! Unfortunately, I still do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, but if I had my way…heh…on with the episode!

--- (sorry, I had to keep that bit in!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah_#Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**

Swearing, sex (male/male relationships), and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

**----------------------------------------**

Episode 4 – Don't Forget Me 

"You're going around Seto's on Friday?" Serenity looked thoughtful.

_#She knows something… Oh God please say she doesn't know something…#_ Joey grimaced as he waited for Serenity to speak. "So…what?"

"Yeah…I'm OK with that. It's not like we were planning on going anywhere anyway! You don't have to look so worried, honestly." She smiled sweetly at him and hugged him. #_He looks worried…could it be…something to do with Seto? Oh, I don't know, but I will find out.# _She walked into the kitchen, leaving Joey alone in the living room.

Joey sighed and walked onto the balcony, staring out at the pale blue sky. Apart from a few small fluffy clouds, the sky was completely clear, and Joey seemed to lose himself in its calmness. He felt his stomach churning in his anxiety. He may have been perfectly happy a couple of hours ago, but now the realness of the whole thing was getting to him. He didn't know what would happen if the others found out about him and Seto, that is if Seto even liked him. Things were just far too complicated, so Joey promised himself that he would stop worrying about it. But there is always that thing, the thing that sits at the back of your thoughts, and comes forward at the most untimely moments. Joey pushed the thought to the very back of his mind, trying to ignore the nagging guilt, the _pain_ in his heart. He leant on the railings and closed his eyes, attempting to enjoy the warm gentle breeze on his face, but he couldn't. Why was he worrying anyway? It was such a beautiful day, so Joey walked back into the house, and out of the front door.

He arrived at the park about ten minutes later and sat down on a bench overlooking the lake. For a long time he just stared at the glittering pool of water, watching with a spite of jealousy at the numerous couples walking around. #_I wish that Seto and me were like that…but maybe we will be. I hope we will be like that. Well, I'll probably find out on Friday, won't I? Oh God, I'm doing it again…I'm not going to think about this anymore. I'm not. I'm not.#_ Joey kept repeating this in his mind until he got thoroughly fed up of saying it.

The sun was now casting long shadows over the ground, and the park was growing quiet. He checked his watch. Seven-thirty. He got up stiffly, stretched, and walked slowly home again, not really wanting to go back to something that almost felt like a prison to him now. Joey had always preferred the outdoors so it was not unusual to find him at the park, or in the town. But his last couple of hours at the park made him appreciate the natural beauty of the world even more. He knew that there was nothing more stunning than it that had ever been created by mankind. The only thing he considered to be more attractive than this, he supposed, was Seto.

----------

"Seto, you're back!" Mokuba bounded down the stairs just as Seto walked in through the front door, and greeted him with the usual hug.

"Hello, Mokuba." Seto was smiling, which told Mokuba that all had gone well at the cinema. "And before you ask, yes I did invite Joey over. He's coming on Friday."

"And are you going to give him a tour of the house? Or just your bedroom?" He giggled as Seto turned a colour that resembled something like a radish.

"Uh, Mokuba!" He shook his head, and sighed. He suddenly grinned and then said, "Well, he'll see it sooner or later. But I'd prefer sooner to later." Mokuba laughed. He was happy that Seto was in a good enough mood to be able to joke about something so serious.

"Just make sure you actually tell him, okay Seto?" Mokuba grinned. "Otherwise I'll tell him."

"Don't you _dare_." Seto seemed for the first time to realise how hard it was all going to be. His face fell and he drew himself in, closing his mind out from the curiosity of the world. Mokuba sighed and pulled Seto into a tight hug.

"Just relax, Seto. Working yourself up isn't going to help."

"I know…" A single, solitary tear ran down Seto's cheek, an inkling of the pain he was feeling. Mokuba cast his eyes to the floor, not sure of what he could do. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Seto flounced up the stairs, and closed his bedroom door loudly behind him.

Mokuba shook his head, walked through the living room and out of the back door. He started to walk slowly round the path that ran around the edges of their garden, kicking a stone as he went. #_Maybe I should say something about this to Joey, or his sister, Serenity. It should at least make Joey a bit more comfortable with the situation. Or maybe I should just ask him if he likes Seto…then I can be sure that Joey does love him. It might not turn out to be such a good idea though, Joey could freak out when he's here and screw everything up. It's probably better if I just ask Serenity. But Seto would kill me if he knew about this…so I'll just have to keep it a secret.#_

Mokuba turned around and walked back into the house. He took the phone from its holder, checked that the room was empty, and proceeded to punch in Joey's number. He pressed the dial button and brought the phone up to his ear. Mokuba listened to the phone ring, and then click.

"_Hello, Serenity speaking_."

"Hi Serenity, it's Mokuba."

"_Oh hi Mokuba. Did you want to speak to Joey?_"

"Um…" He paused.

"_Well, if you did want to speak to him, he's gone out. I think he's gone to the park._" Mokuba sighed in relief.

"No, I kinda wanted to talk to you, actually." He just hoped that Serenity had already figured out what was going on between Joey and his brother.

"_Is it…about your brother?_" She asked cautiously.

"Yeah… Do you think that…there's something going on between those two? Seto and Joey?" Mokuba bit his lip, worried about how Serenity might react to his question.

"_Err…_" There was silence for moment, and then, "_Yes. I do think so._"

"Oh, good. I at least wanted to make sure that you knew."

"_OK. Well, be sure to let me know if anything happens on Friday._"

"Sure. Well…I guess I'll be seeing you, then."

"_Yeah, see you. Bye!_"

"Bye…" Mokuba heard the phone click and he put it back into its holder. #_Well, at least I've done it now…it would have been worse if Serenity didn't know about this. Now I have someone I can talk to about it, without getting totally embarrassed. And if it doesn't all work out on Friday… Well, then me and Serenity can do something about it.#_

----------

"Hey, Yugi! Take a look at this!" Yami and Yugi had invited Ryou and Bakura round to their house after they had been to the cinema. Ryou had been reading the local newspaper, when an interesting advert had caught his eye.

"What is it, Ryou?" Yugi sat down next to him on the sofa and took the newspaper Ryou was offering him. He pointed his finger at an advert that took up nearly the whole page, and Yugi then proceeded to read it aloud.

"'Come to the Domino Natural History Museum this summer to see the new Ancient Egyptian exhibition.'" Yami peered over Yugi's shoulder and read the article for himself.

"A new exhibition, eh? Well, maybe we should go see it."

"Yeah, any excuse for you to start going on about what it was like in our day…" Bakura said, who had been listening to them from his position in front of the T.V.

"Well it's not like you don't either!" Ryou tutted. At that moment Bakura decided to turn up the volume of the T.V., and knowing him and his bad timing, he turned it up just as the Curry's advert (AN: you know, the 'Curry's, always cutting prices!' thing) came on the T.V. "And turn that fucking thing down! Or if not, turn it off!" Bakura's face fell as he reached his finger over to the power button and switched the T.V. off. He got up and walked around the back of the sofa, hugging Ryou from behind.

"I'm sorry, Ryou." He kissed his cheek. "Are you mad at me?" Ryou shook his head, blushing slightly. He rested his head against Bakura's chest and closed his eyes, sighing gently. Yugi stared at Ryou, not really knowing why he was doing it. He just couldn't stop himself…Ryou seemed to radiate with warmth and beauty, easily seducing Yugi into a zombie-like state. Unfortunately for him, Yami noticed Yugi's adoring face, so he took him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Yugi! What are you doing?!" Ryou and Bakura came back to the real world with a start, and saw Yami shaking Yugi.

"Yami, don't! You're hurting me!" Yami stopped shaking Yugi, but held onto him with a death-like grip, Yugi desperately trying to escape.

"Yami! What's going on? Let go of Yugi!" Ryou shouted, only making things worse.

"Stay out of this!" Yami snapped back, still resisting Yugi's attempts of escape.

"Don't you shout at my Hikari!" Bakura shouted. He and Yami may have been on speaking terms, but they had never really liked each other all that much, and they were only being civil because Yugi and Ryou forced them to be. Yami turned his head slowly towards him, his face contorted with rage. In his anger he let go of Yugi, allowing him to run out of the room and up the stairs. Yami watched Yugi go, but did not move to try and catch him. Ryou gave Yami a horrified look before fleeing up the stairs after Yugi, wanting to give him all the comfort he could. Yami turned his attention back to Bakura and pushed him so that he fell backwards over the sofa and onto the floor on the other side. "Yami, what the fuck are you doing?! I didn't do anything to you!" Yami picked Bakura up by the collar and threw him onto the sofa.

"Do you know what Yugi was doing?!" He spat. Bakura looked- and was- surprised. He looked at Yami questioningly, raising an eyebrow. This just made Yami even madder. He drew back his fist and aimed at Bakura's face, but he was prepared this time and grabbed it just as it was an inch from his face. Bakura twisted Yami's arm round his back and pushed him onto the ground so he was lying on his front, and then proceeded to kneel on him so as to stop any attempt of another attack.

"Now tell me," Bakura growled, his voice barely more than a whisper, "What is going on?" Yami struggled against his grip, but Bakura pulled his arm further up his back, Yami screaming in pain.

"Alright, for Ra's sake! Just let go!" Yami cried. He shuddered as Bakura loosened his grip, but this time Yami did not try to move, knowing that Bakura, quite literally had the upper hand. "Thank you." #_I can't believe I'm saying thank you to this Baka tomb-robber…he'll pay for that…#_ "Yugi…was…" Yami took a deep breath, and continued, "HewaseyeingupRyou!" Bakura's expression darkened.

"Well, you had better keep your little Yugi away from Ryou…because if you don't… Well, we'll just see what happens." He let go of Yami and stood up, backing slowly away from him. He may not have liked Yami, but he never underestimated him…the last time he did that it was fatal to him. Yami twitched slightly before getting up, and he walked straight out of the room, not once looking at Bakura. He heard him stomp away up the stairs, probably to tell Ryou to get lost.

-This starts from when Yugi ran up the stairs-

Yugi ran into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him, his heart racing, his mind in chaos.

_#Why the fuck did I stare at him?! I'm in deep shit now! Fuck fuck fuck!#_ Yugi turned around and banged his head on the door, causing little stars to start popping in front of his eyes. He flung himself onto his bed, and buried his face into his pillow. He tried to keep down the sick feeling he was getting from his stomach, his throat burning from the acidic taste of the bile. Suddenly his bedroom door burst open, and after a moment shut again. He heard footsteps coming towards his bed, but Yugi did not look to see whom it was. He felt the mattress sink as the person sat down on it, and almost choked when he heard the owner's voice.

"Yugi?" Ryou said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Yugi shuddered slightly, but other than that he remained perfectly still. Ryou lifted Yugi up into a sitting position, from which he vomited on the floor. Ryou's eyes widened in fear as Yugi groaned and fell backwards on his bed, breathing heavily and sweating. He started as he heard a scream emit from down the stairs, but soon recovered form the shock and turned his attention back to Yugi. Ryou felt his forehead and immediately pulled it back, as if he had just touched a hot iron. "You're burning up…" He looked around for a glass of water and found one on Yugi's desk. He grabbed it, spilling some of the water onto the floor, and went back to Yugi. He sat back down on his bed, and once again pulled Yugi into sitting position. Yugi was not feeling particularly co-operative, though, and let his head fall limply against Ryou's chest.

Ryou knew that Yugi wasn't going to cooperate, so he rather forcefully pushed the glass against Yugi's mouth and poured the water down his throat. Yugi coughed and spluttered, spraying the room with the liquid. Ryou once again poured the water down Yugi's throat, but this time he drank it. After a moment of this Yugi sat up properly, shaking violently. Ryou put the glass back onto the table and started to rub Yugi's back, trying his best to calm him down. "Yugi…what were you doing that made Yami mad?" Yugi shook his head, not wanting Ryou to know what he had felt, what he was still feeling. "Yugi, you can tell me."

"I don't know if I want to…" He drew in a deep shuddering breath. "I'm not sure that you'll react the way… I don't even know why I did it…"

"Did what, Yugi?" Yugi shook his head again, concentrating all his efforts on trying to stop the bile that was threatening to come up again. Ryou's heart was racing. He didn't know why, but he felt strangely…attracted to Yugi. He always had. At first he thought it was because of the millennium items, but now…now he wasn't so sure. He hadn't felt attracted to anyone else that was in possession of one of the items, least of all Pegasus. He wondered whether Yugi felt this attraction as well, and if he did, was this attraction towards him? Well, whatever it was, if they had never got their millennium items he was sure that they would never have become as close to each other as they were. Perhaps the cause of the attraction was the items, but it had grown into something more than that, something that Ryou didn't fully comprehend… And anyway, he couldn't be with two people at the same time. He shook his head and looked back at Yugi, who was now bending over the edge of the bed.

Ryou put his arms around Yugi and embraced him, murmuring words of comfort in his ear. He rocked him back and forth like a child, Yugi curled up in a tight ball. He soon calmed down, and silently cried into Ryou's chest. Yugi was dreading the moment when Yami came into his room and found them like this, but that was the least of his cares right then.

Yami burst into Yugi's room to find him and Ryou huddled up together on his bed, Yugi being rocked back and forth by Ryou. He looked down to find that there was a pool of vomit on the floor. Yami looked back and forth between the floor and Yugi before he put two and two together and realised what must have happened. He walked slowly over to the pair on the bed, making a mental note not to step in the vomit, and knelt down in front of them. Yugi looked up at Yami's face, and Yami saw the fear in his eyes. He was so pale and fragile, like a china doll that was teetering off the edge of a shelf, just waiting to be broken and smashed. Yami felt the guilt boil up inside him, angry with himself for hurting Yugi, so much so that Yugi was frightened of him…although he knew that this wasn't the first time it had happened.

"Yugi…?" Yami said quietly. The smaller boy buried his face into Ryou's chest, shivering with fright.

"Why did you do that to him?" Ryou's voice was barely more than a whisper, but it came clear and cold into Yami's mind. "You love him, don't you?" Yami slowly nodded his head, never taking his eyes off of Yugi. "Well, maybe you should learn to control your emotions. You've hurt him badly, and I'm not about to sort this out for you." He looked up into Ryou's eyes and saw the anger in them…Yami knew he shouldn't have been surprised by this, but he was.

"I don't want to lose him to somebody else..." (AN: Think back to the title of the episode, folks!) He whispered, his eyes stinging with tears.

"What do you mean?" Ryou looked quizzically at him, but Yami just shook his head.

"I don't think I should say…at least not yet."

_#What does he mean?#_ Ryou frowned. He started a little as he felt Yugi stir inside the safety of his arms, and loosened his grip so Yugi could sit up properly. He stared into Yami's eyes, and he could feel the guilt in his heart, the sorrow, and more importantly the love. Yami wiped away Yugi's tears, gently caressing his face with his fingers. Ryou smiled and stood up, knowing that he should leave the two of them alone together. He opened the door of the bedroom and closed it gently behind him. He stood for a moment with his hand still on the handle, before turning around and finding Bakura leaning against the wall. He had a bruise on his head, and he looked annoyed, to say the least.

"How did you get that bruise on your head?" Ryou asked quietly, not wanting Bakura to get mad at him.

"Oh, it was nothing really. I mean, Yami just pushed me over the back of the sofa and tried to kill me, but hey, that's just normal, isn't it?" He said sarcastically. "Come on, let's get out of here. This house stinks of Pharaohs."

(AN: I am so sorry about the whole of the last scene being completely out of place and over exaggerated, but it sounded good when I wrote it. And anyway I can't get rid of it because it's a necessary part of the plot.)

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Luff: Yay! Finished at last!

Yugi: Hurrah…

Luff: Hey, don't blame me for the randomness of the last scene; I had a cold while I was writing this! In fact I still have my cold. Obviously.

Yami: #Snorts# Duh.

Luff: Oh yeah, I just remembered I've learnt how to spell Chihauha right now! Well, that's how it was spelt in this magazine I was reading, anyway… and I've also just discovered that spell checker thinks that is wrong and that it's spelt Chihuahua. Argh! Someone save me!

Seto: Oh wow, how exciting.

Luff: Sutty uppy! Anyways, I'll finish this now seeing as I am about to watch a film, and my nose is starting to piss me off. So… Don't forget to R&R my lovely reviewers! Byesy!


	5. Minor thing

Luff: Sorry, this chapter was supposed to be up on Christmas day, but I got kinda sidetracked… despite the fact that these are all already written. Oops. I'll try not to make any future updates as late as this one.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah_# Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning:** Swearing, sex (male/male relationships) and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

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Episode 5 – Minor Thing 

Joey walked up the Kaiba's gravel driveway leading to the mansion. Joey had been around Seto's before, but never by himself. He had at least gone with someone like Yugi, or with the whole group. Joey reached the big front door and rang the bell. He waited for a moment before the door opened, revealing a mischievous looking Mokuba.

"Joey! You came!"

"Err, yeah, I did." Mokuba stepped aside to let Joey in, and closed the door behind him.

"Seto is waiting for you upstairs in his _bedroom_. I trust you know where that is?"

"Should I?" Joey looked puzzled.

"Don't worry, I'll take you there." Mokuba took Joey by the arm and led him up the stairs. "Seto's room is nice. It's very big. He has a _big bed_ too. It's _very comfortable_. Well, I hope you and Seto have _fun_ together. I hope he gives you a guided tour of his _bed_. Room. Because it's _big_." Joey inched slowly away from Mokuba, clearly worried that this child was mentally ill or something.

"Um, OK MOKUBA. I'M-I'M GOING IN NOW. I'LL SEE YOU LATER." Joey opened Seto's door and quickly walked in, and closed the door behind him. He shook his head in amazement. _I can't believe he actually said that…_ He turned around to look at Seto's room, and one thing for sure was that Seto's room was _huge_. He looked around a bit more and saw Seto leaning on the balcony, and he immediately relaxed. #_Wow…he's so beautiful…#_ He sighed in contentment, watching Seto with dreamy eyes. He now had no doubts in his mind about him, he loved him and he knew it. He walked slowly over to the balcony and stepped outside into the warm summers morning, giving Seto one last longing look behind his back before walking up to him.

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Seto was pacing up and down his bedroom, continually looking at his watch and wringing his hands. It was Friday, and Joey was due to arrive at his house at any moment. Seto knew he really shouldn't be nervous; Joey was a good friend if his, and he knew that he could trust Joey with his life…but this was different.

His stomach growled with nerves. He raised a shaking hand to his head and pushed away the hair from his eyes. #_This is stupid. Come on Seto, relax.#_ He took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves. He walked out on to the balcony and closed his eyes, a cool breeze playing with his hair. He stayed like this for while, and for a moment forgetting all his problems, his stomach unclenching and his mind clearing. He did not know how long he had been there, but he soon found out as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Seto spun around to find Joey standing in front of him, smiling the smile of an angel. Joey seemed to be glowing with warmth and beauty, his hazel eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Hey, Seto." Seto melted in his shoes. He was so close to him now, so close, and yet…so far away.

"Joey… I didn't realise you had come. Mokuba was supposed to tell me-"

"It doesn't matter, Seto." Joey leant on the railings and closed his eyes. His hair moved gently in the breeze, glittering with gold's and oranges in the bright morning sun. Seto stared at him, his eyes fixated on Joey's perfect form and placid face. He opened his eyes again and turned slightly pink when he noticed Seto staring at him. "Something wrong?" He asked quietly. Seto gave him an exasperated look and sighed.

"What do you think Joey?" He turned to look out over the garden. Although he didn't want to be, he felt angry with Joey for being so naïve.

"I think there is something wrong." Seto felt Joey move closer to him. "And I also think I know what it is." Joey walked behind him and slipped his arms through Seto's, holding him in a tight embrace. He rested his head on Seto's shoulder, Joey's breath tickling his ear. Seto's heart was racing. He didn't feel right (S. Chensu: Why, did he feel wrong? Luff: Shut up, you're spoiling it!). Joey licked his ear, making him jump slightly. "Seto…when are we going to end this madness?" Seto turned his head to look directly at Joey. His face was very close to his own…he could see passion and desire in his eyes, burning like a forest fire out of all control; it had no limits, no borders or boundaries. "When…?" Joey nuzzled Seto's cheek, tightening his grip on him. Seto turned around in Joey's arms and pulled him closer to his body.

"Whenever you like…but I think we'd both prefer it to be now…" He lifted his hand up to the back of Joey's neck, passing a sensitive spot near the roots of his hair. Joey gasped and shuddered. Seto used this to his advantage and continued to stroke the soft spot, causing the blonde to moan with pleasure.

"Quit stalling, Seto!" Joey said desperately, his voice faltering. Seto closed the space between them and gently kissed Joey's soft lips, at last ending the suffering that they had felt over the past few months, releasing all of their tensions and worries.

A shadowy figure watched them quietly from the door, of which they were blissfully unaware. Mokuba smiled.

"At last." He whispered.

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"Hey, Tristan!" Téa waved her arms frantically over her head, beckoning Tristan to her. It was Friday afternoon, and Téa and Tristan had agreed to meet up at the park together. Tristan turned around to find Téa walking towards him, smiling.

"Hi Téa! How're things?"

"Tristan, things aren't going to have changed in a couple of days." Téa said sardonically.

"Well, you never know! Anything can happen in a couple of days!" He said knowingly. "And you don't have to get all sarky with me."

"Sorry."

"Doesn't matter." They started to walk along the path by the lake, reminiscing about funny things that had happened in the past, and of course, the strange things. "Do you remember when we had that Christmas party last year?" Tristan said dreamily.

"Oh yeah…" Téa dug back into the recesses of her mind and smiled at the memory of the event…

**-FLASHBACK-**

Seto had arranged a Christmas party at his mansion, and he had invited Yami, Yugi, Bakura, Ryou, Joey, Téa and Tristan to come along. They played a wide variety of games, including Bop It! 2 Extreme, Dancing mat (PS2), Spin the Bottle (Hmm, interesting…), Blind Man's Bluff, Spoons (I can't be bothered to explain what that is), and good old hide and seek. However, one game they played stood out clear and sharp from all the others: Twister. This was probably the most cringe worthy of them all.

"Right! Does anyone have any ideas of what they want to play next? We have…" Seto looked down his list of games that were written on a piece of paper. "…Bop It! 2 Extreme, Twister, or Spin the Bottle…" He tailed off, and he could see that the answer was unanimous.

"Twister!" The others shouted in unison. Seto smiled to himself. #_This, I think, is going to be interesting…#_ He got the Twister box out from the pile of games on the floor, and took the lid off. He took the mat out and spread it onto the floor, and then took out the board.

"To make this easier, we'll do this in fours, seeing as there are eight of us." The others nodded their heads. "Now, who wants to go first?"

"I'll go." Yugi volunteered, and stood up.

"I'll go, too." Ryou also stood up, smiling at Yugi. Bakura and Yami stood up at the same time.

"Yeah, and me." They said. They glared at each other, annoyed by the fact that they had just volunteered to play Twister. Together.

"Great! Right, everybody take a side of the mat." Yugi stood on the side with the blue dots, Ryou stood opposite him on the side with the green dots, and Yami and Bakura stood opposite each other on the two sides that were left, both of them throwing glares and evils to the one who occupied the opposite side of the mat. When they had all gathered around it, Seto asked, "Who wants to go first?" They organised it so that Yugi went first, then Ryou, Yami and Bakura. Once that had been sorted, they decided that the four who were left would take it in turns to spin the board, to make it fair. "OK! Are we all ready? Then let's get started!" Seto spun the handle round and it eventually landed on… "Right hand Green!" Yugi bent down and reached over to the other side of the mat, Yami gazing listlessly at his aibou's form. Seto passed the board over to Joey, and once again the handle was spun.

"OK, umm, left leg Green!" Ryou moved his leg to a spot in front of him and knelt down, so his face was level with Yugi's. The board was once again passed along, and Téa took her turn to spin the handle.

"Right hand Yellow." Yami moved so that he was right next to Yugi. Yugi smiled at him and then looked back at Tristan, who had now taken the board and spun the handle.

"Right leg Green." Bakura grinned at Yami before placing his right leg next to Ryou's spot, and also knelt down, using Ryou as an armrest. He rolled his eyes and pushed his Yami's arm off of his shoulder, causing Yugi to laugh. Yami looked admiringly at him before looking back at Seto, awaiting Yugi's next move. They continued playing this for another ten minutes, and by then they were all practically in a large heap, random arms and legs sticking out here and there. This had caused Téa and Tristan to get suspicious, despite the fact that none of them were together yet. At the moment Yugi was on the bottom of the pile, with his left leg and right hand on Red, his left hand on Yellow and his right leg on Blue. He was barely standing up as it was, but now he had a whole pile of bodies on top of him. Yami was trying to take off as much of the weight as possible, who was standing, or more rather lying, over Yugi. Ryou was the next one up, and could barely keep his hands and legs on the spots, and it was hard enough with Bakura pushing him down as well. Bakura was hoping that he might end up crushing Yami, but it didn't particularly help with Yugi being at the bottom.

"ARGH!" Yami's legs gave way, and they all fell down on top of each other, knocking the wind out of Yugi. Ryou pushed Bakura off of him, and helped Yami up to his feet, revealing a very pale looking Yugi. He slowly sat up, his eyes wandering around the room in random directions.

"What is up with you guys?! You've been acting really weird! Fine, it's a competition, but that doesn't mean you have to crush each other to death!" Tristan looked pretty bewildered, shaking his head. Ryou elbowed Bakura in the side, giving him a warning look.

"Sorry." Bakura mumbled. Yugi had now got to his feet, with help from Yami, and looked at them all stupidly.

"Wow, my head hurts. That was fun, though. Shall we do it again?" Everybody looked at him as if he were mad.

"No way! I'm not doing that again!" Ryou grabbed Yugi by the arm. "Come on, we're going to get you a drink. Or something. I dunno." He dragged Yugi out of the room and out of sight around the corner, a jealous looking Yami watching them leave.

"Ahh, is Yami jealous of ickle Yugi and Ryou being together?" Bakura sniggered in his ear. Yami turned bright red.

"Uhh…no." Yami said quietly. Téa shook her head.

"Are we the only sane ones here?" She asked, exasperated. Tristan nodded his head.

"Yup."

**-END OF FLASHBACK-**

"What do you think is going on with those guys? They've been acting really weird." Tristan pondered.

"Hmm…" #_There is definitely something going on between them…they're so close to each other, like they love each other. But can that be? I hope they can trust us enough to tell us; after all we are their friends. I wouldn't mind if they do love each other, but I'm not so sure about Tristan…how would he react? Well, we'll probably find out at some point…#_

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Luff: Wow, that's the shortest episode I've ever written! And the last scene was probably the most pointless I've ever written…but that's because it is for Christmas, and my sister wanted me to involve Téa and Tristan a bit more.

Téa: Yeah, involve us more!

Luff: I'm sorry, it's because you're such difficult characters to work with!

Tristan: Oh, thanks.

Yugi: #Sigh# Well, please R&R people, and maybe the next episode will be a bit better. Byesy!


	6. Scar Tissue

**IMPORTANT**: I am so sorry, but I didn't realise I got reviews from Pharaoh'sEgyptianArabian or from The Sabbit, because Chen's hotmail thought it was spam mail, so it went straight in the bin. So thank you two VERY much for reviewing me, I truly appreciate it!

**Yugi**: Thank you for your review, but I don't suppose there is ever going to be point when you'll ACTUALLY comment on the story, is there? Oh well, never mind. Just make sure you do next time please!! And as always I really appreciate your support!

**Pharaoh'sEgyptianArabian**: Thank you thank you thank you! I will put this chapter up because I've just discovered your review! I'm so grateful, truly I am! You'll be pleased to know I could possibly update very regularly because I've actually written up to chapter 19!! Yay!!

**The Sabbit**: Thankies! Um, no my local cinema is an ODEON, but we used have a really piddly ABC cinema. It went out of business about five years ago. Yeah, I agree about the late thing though! Mind you, I always make sure I'm at least half an hour early for the film. Mainly cos I don't want to risk being late because I have to go into town to see a film. Oooh, that reminds me, I can buy Yu-Gi-Oh! The movie tomorrow! (After doing bowling for PE… how cool is that?! Bowling!!) If they haven't sold out AGAIN… Aahh, my favourite couple is Yugi/Yami, but I'm quite flexible! Obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be involving other people…he he! And where's 'over here'? Mep… Well, thank you for your praises, I feel so happy now!! I'll now try and update at least once a week! Eh-heh.. okay twice a week. Or something. Heh. Anyways, thankies!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah_# Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning:** Swearing, sex (male/male relationships) and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

--------------------------------------------

Episode 6 – Scar Tissue 

Ryou left their room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Yugi stared down at the floor, not really paying attention to Yami kneeling in front of him.

"Yugi?" Silence. "Yugi, I'm sorry. Please talk to me." He remained silent. Yami grew angry at Yugi's denial and stood up, shouting rather louder than he intended to. "Look, I've said I'm sorry, all right? What more can I do? And anyway, you were the one- _eyeing_ Ryou-"

"What?!" Yugi got up off his bed, furious at Yami for having spotted it so quickly. "Well you didn't have to hurt me because of it! And you didn't have to be so…_blunt_, either."

"Ah! So you were, weren't you? And you didn't even tell him." Yami shook his head in mock disappointment.

"What, you would _want_ me to tell him?!" Yugi could feel the panic rising in him, and the acidic burn of the bile was once again burning his throat. He retched and collapsed back onto his bed, leaning over the side to avoid throwing up on his sheets. He whimpered and hugged his knees to his chest, curling himself up into a ball. Yami sighed and sat down next to him, gathering his hikari up in his arms. Making sure that Yugi's head was facing away from him, he carried him out of the room and down the stairs, figuring it would be better for Yugi if he were somewhere more spacious than their bedroom.

Yami placed him gently onto the sofa like he had done only a few days ago, yet his feelings couldn't have been more different, more confused then they were before. Yugi once again curled himself up tightly, crying in anguish and frustration. He just wanted to go back, to change what he had done…it was such a little thing to get worked up over; yet it was enough to get Yami angry with him, to hurt him. "Yami, I-" He stopped, unable to continue without the vomit threatening to come up.

"Don't talk." Yami said flatly. He felt Yugi's forehead, and noted the fact that Yugi was probably hot enough to spontaneously combust. He wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a clean cloth out of the washing machine, soaking it under the tap. He squeezed it a little so it wouldn't drip water all over the floor, and walked back into the living room, where Yugi was still curled up in a ball. Yami pulled him up so his head was resting against the arm of the chair, and placed the wet cloth on Yugi's forehead. Yami went back up the stairs and into their room, and took Yugi's duvet off of his bed. He grabbed one of his pillows and then took them down the stairs, going slowly so that he didn't trip up on the blanket. He came back into the living room to find Yugi staring up at the ceiling, apparently having calmed down.

Dropping the duvet on the floor, Yami lifted Yugi's head up and put the pillow underneath it, and then draped the blanket over his body.

"I'm sorry." Yugi whispered. Yami shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry, Yugi. I shouldn't have hurt you." He knelt beside him, and Yugi turned around so he was facing him. Yami cupped his cheek in his hand and stroked it with his thumb. "I love you." Yugi smiled faintly and closed his eyes, eventually falling asleep. Yami kissed his forehead before standing and going up the stairs to clear up the vomit that was still on the floor. Time seemed to slow down to a painstaking pace as he scrubbed away at the floor, as though it was his punishment for what he had done.

After about half an hour of trying to get rid of the smell, Yami gave up and went into the bathroom to have a shower. He just wanted to forget that it had ever happened, to pretend that Yugi had never looked at Ryou in…the way that he did. The look on his face was still clear in his mind; the look that Yami only wanted Yugi to give _him._ The expression on his face was so admiring, so real, that Yami's attempt at changing its meaning failed miserably. He just wanted to drown it all out, drown out the memory in the water that was raining down on his head…but it was impossible. Yami turned the shower off and grabbed his towel from the rail, wrapping it tightly around his body. He shivered slightly as the water started to condense on his skin, and quickly dried himself off before putting on his pyjamas and going back down the stairs.

Yugi was staring blankly at the wall, and didn't notice Yami until he sat down on the sofa next to him.

"Hey, Yami." He yawned widely and sat up a bit so he could talk properly, but didn't get very far as Yami pulled him into a tight hug, catching Yugi by surprise. He looked at his face to see that his eyes were firmly closed, and his expression was pained. "What's wrong, Yami?" He kissed his Yami's lips lightly, pulling him down next to him. He lifted the blanket up and threw it over both of them, and Yami, taking the hint, got onto the sofa properly, drawing Yugi closer to him. He held him tightly, as if he was afraid that someone would take his Hikari away from him…he didn't want to lose him, and he was going to try his hardest to not let that happen.

"I promise, Yugi, that no matter what happens, I will never let you go…"

----------

"At last." He whispered. Mokuba watched them for a few more moments before walking out of Seto's room and quietly closing the door behind him. _#I should tell Serenity about this…#_ He went slowly down the stairs, thinking about what he was going to say. #_Maybe I should wait a bit before I say anything to her…after all, things may end up going horribly wrong.#_

He soon found himself in the living room, so he sat himself down on one of the sofas. #_Well, I'll probably hear it if something bad happens…actually, I'll probably hear it if anything happens at all…# _He grinned at the thought of it, but quickly told himself off. #_I think this is going to take some time…#_

----------

"Joey…" They broke apart, staring into each other's eyes.

"Yeah?" Joey whispered, running his fingers through Seto's hair.

"I…love you." Seto closed his eyes; he could feel his face burning. Joey kissed his cheek gently, soothing Seto's nerves.

"I know." Seto buried his face in Joey's hair. #_I never thought I would get as close to Joey as this…#_ He breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet smell of Cedarwood and wild mint (AN: my favourite kind of shampoo!).

"Joey…do you…can you promise me that you'll stay with me? Forever?" His heart raced as he waited for Joey's reply.

"Of course I will, Seto. I would never leave you."

"But what about the others?"

"They don't need to know about this…about us."

"You know…"

"What?" Joey looked up Seto enquiringly.

"Mokuba told me…that he thinks Yugi and Yami are…together." Seto watched as Joey's expression changed to a look of surprise.

"Really? I knew they were close but not…that close."

"Hmm." They were silent for a moment before Joey remembered the way Mokuba had acted before he came into Seto's room.

"Mokuba was acting really weird before I came in here."

"Oh?"

"Ugh, I dunno…he was just saying stuff like 'I hope you and Seto have fun together' and 'I hope he gives you a guided tour of his bed. Room. Because it's big'." Seto burst into laughter. He managed to stop himself at Joey's puzzled look, and proceeded to wipe the tears away from his eyes.

"Well, you know Mokuba." He said eventually, his hysterics finally subsiding as he put on a more serious face.

"Did you…?"

"Tell him? Yes. Being without you really made me miserable. He could see that I was unhappy, so he practically bribed me into telling him. I couldn't avoid him. And even if I hadn't told him anything, he still would've guessed what it was. I wouldn't worry about it." He smiled comfortingly at Joey, hugging him tightly. "I'll tell him off later, if you want me to." Joey shook his head, kissing Seto's lips.

"Let's forget about everyone else and just concentrate on us…I'm not sure about you, but I don't care about anyone else right now apart from you." Joey took Seto's hand in his own and walked into his room, closing the door behind them.

----------

"_Hello?_" Ryou's crackled voice came out through the phone into Yugi's ear, calming him down a bit. He was worried that Bakura might have picked the phone up, and that was the last thing he needed- especially as it was half past nine in the morning.

"Hi Ryou, its Yugi."

"_Oh, hi! Are you OK now?_" Yugi was a little surprised by the question, but answered it non-the less.

"I'm fine, I suppose…"

"_Oh, good. What's up, then?_" Yugi remained silent for a moment, thinking about what he was going to ask. It wasn't that it was really embarrassing; it was just because of what had happened the previous day…he was surprised that Ryou wasn't mad at him for not saying why Yami had been angry with him, and the fact that he wasn't made Yugi a little more confident in what he had to ask.

"Umm…I was wondering if you still wanted to go that Egyptian exhibition at some point…" He held his breath as he waited for Ryou's reply.

"_Yeah, sure. Why not?_" He fell silent for a moment before saying, "_Is Yami anywhere nearby?_" Yugi took the phone away from his ear. He looked around behind him, and seeing that the room was empty, put the phone to his head again.

"No, I don't think so."

"_Well, I don't know about you, but I think it would be better if we went without our Yami's…_"

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

"And guess what? You're not going anywhere near him without me." Yugi jumped and spun around to find Yami standing right behind him, looking very annoyed.

"_Yugi? What's going on?_" Ryou's confused voice came through the receiver just as Bakura vaguely shouted something at him in the background. "_What?! Why?! Bakura, that's not fair!_" Bakura obviously moved closer to the phone, because what he said next was a lot louder than it was before.

"_If you're going with Yugi, then I'm going too! Especially if the Pharaoh's going to be there…_" Ryou sighed, exasperated.

"_Bakura, you can't control what I do! And how did you know, anyway?_"

"_A) Because I was listening to you through your mind and b) I could hear that Baka Pharaoh talking through the phone…_"

"How dare he call me Baka!" Yami screamed, outraged.

"_Bakura, I thought I told you not to do that! And don't call Yami stupid!_"

"_Well, it's not like he's never called me stupid!_"

"Look, will you both just shut the fuck up?!" Yugi shouted. "I'm trying to have a conversation with Ryou, but I can't if you two are screaming your heads off!"

"_Right!_" Ryou agreed. "_So, when shall we go Yugi?_"

"Today. When do you want to meet?"

"_Err, about eleven-ish?_"

"OK. We'll meet inside. Keep your mobile on. See you later, then!"

"_Yep! Bye!_" The phone clicked, and Yugi put it back into its holder.

"You're still going, then?" Yugi asked wearily. Yami looked sternly at him, nodding his head.

"And I don't care if that Baka tomb-robber-"

"Oh for God's sake, will you stop calling him stupid?! I don't see why you two just can't get along with each other! I mean, I know you were a Pharaoh and he was a tomb-robber, but that doesn't mean you have to bite each other's heads off!" Yugi stomped up the stairs and into their room, getting his bag out of the cupboard and filling it with all the stuff he thought he would need. Yami followed him around slowly, as if determined not to let Yugi out of his sight. Yugi wasn't having any of this, though; he eventually managed to get Yami to go away, after threatening that he would screw Ryou if he didn't.

Yami spent his time after that muttering darkly to himself, wondering if Yugi was being sarcastic or not- but even if it wasn't, he was still determined to not let that happen. He decided to show his annoyance by banging things around the kitchen, hoping that he would get some sort of reaction out of Yugi, but of course it failed miserably. After that he sat on the sofa, sulking, and only cheered up when Yugi came down and apologised to him. That, and a little more…

--------------------------------------------

Luff: Ha ha! You're gonna have to wait till the next chapter find out what happens!

Yugi: Oh God…

Yami: Luff says she wants more reviews before putting the next chapter up. And it probably won't be as crap then, either.

Luff: Oh, thanks! That's just the inspiration I need! #Sniff#

Bakura: Oh, stop blubbering!

Luff: Blubbering?! I am the authoress, you know! I can make you do some thing really stupid!

Ryou: Yap yap yap! Shutty uppy!

Luff: Quite. Anyways, REVIEW! I NEED REVIEWS! Thank you.


	7. This is The Place

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning:** Swearing, sex (male/male relationships) and badness in general. I will put a warning before a chapter if it involves sex. You have been warned.

--------------------------------------------

**Episode 7 – This is The Place**

Yugi stepped in through the front doors of the museum, glad that he was finally out of the heat. He stood for a moment enjoying the gentle coolness glide over him before looking around for Ryou.

"Hey Yugi!" He spun around to find Ryou walking towards him smiling widely, and trailing several metres behind was his Yami, looking very grumpy. Yugi laughed before running over to meet the two white haired boys, dragging Yami with him.

"Ryou!" Yami watched jealously as Yugi and Ryou hugged, and started discussing what they were going to look at. He looked up to see that Bakura was glaring at him, so Yami decided he would give him the best death-glare he could. However, he had only been doing this for a few seconds before he realised that Yugi and Ryou had already walked off to buy their tickets, so they stalked over to where their hikari's were now standing by the ticket desk. It appeared, though, that hadn't even noticed they had not followed them over.

Seeing as Yugi and Ryou had been there so many times, they didn't really need a map, so straight away they set off towards their first destination.

"OK! First up, the Prussian's!" Yami and Bakura stopped dead in their tracks, unbelieving looks on their faces.

"You have GOT to be joking." Yami said stiffly.

"Why?" Ryou ginned suddenly. "Oh yes, I remember now. They invaded your precious Egypt, didn't they?" He giggled, before walking off into the Prussian section with Yugi.

"Great idea, Ryou! They won't follow us in here. We're free of them at last!" And for a few seconds more this was true; but they soon found that their freedom had once again been taken from them.

"Oh no you're not." They stopped and groaned as Bakura's voice appeared from behind them. "Yami, get over here!"

"Hmph." Yami walked begrudgingly over to where they were all standing, being careful to not look at the displays of Prussian artefacts that had managed to attract crowds of people. He started muttering darkly to himself, causing several of them to stare at him as he walked past.

"Five thousand year old spirits…you can't take them out anywhere." Ryou said disappointedly, before carrying on through the exhibition.

"Hmph." Yami scowled at the various weapons and statues of gods that were behind the large sheets of glass, clearly unhappy about the fact that they were even there.

"What's wrong with you now?" Yugi asked, getting increasingly annoyed with Yami's continuous sighing and growling.

"They stole that from us." He muttered, nodding his head towards a display of Prussian recipes.

"Err…" Yugi looked at the book, totally nonplussed.

"They stole my mother's recipe for hot salty nuts!" Bakura shouted, outraged. The area around them became completely silent, people looking at them in amazement.

"Bakura, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Yami said quietly.

"I have a plan. Well, not for any particular reason…just because I feel like it." He cleared his throat before saying, "There, look! See? Camels nuts, hot and salty!"

"Be…quiet!" Ryou managed to gasp between violent fits of giggles, Yugi already using the display as support to stop him from falling over.

"Well I don't see what's so funny." Yami said seriously, taking the hint from Bakura. "They were quite a delicacy in our day."

"Shut up, you're killing me!" Yugi had now allowed himself to fall onto the floor, unable to keep down the uncontrollable laughter.

"I should have known you would try and put something about 'our' day in there somewhere…" Bakura said, smiling slyly at Yami.

"Watch it!" Yami said threateningly. He turned to look at Yugi who had finally picked himself up off the floor, with help from Ryou. "Well, come on! I don't want to stay here."

"Well, you're going to have to. However, if you don't want to stay here then why don't you and Bakura go off together somewhere else?" Yugi sniggered. Yami growled before stalking off ahead, with Bakura going in vaguely the same direction. "At last…" Yugi turned to Ryou to find him staring at his face, his eyes unfocused slightly; he appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. Yugi's stomach churned slightly as Ryou continued to stare at him, apparently completely unaware that he was doing so. "Ryou?" Yugi asked nervously. Ryou seemed for the first time to realise what he was doing, and gasped slightly as Yugi's innocent face swam into his vision. "Are you OK?"

_#Yes…now that they're gone…_# Ryou shook his head, before looking back to Yugi. "I'm-I'm fine. Sorry."

"That's alright, Ryou. Come on…let's get moving."

(AN: Dun dun dun! What's going to happen next? I don't have a clue!)

----------

"Where are you going, Pharaoh?" Yami turned to find Bakura leaning against the wall, watching him study a map of the building.

"Well, if you really must know, I'm trying to find out where that new exhibition is." Yami said, before turning back to the map.

"Oh." Bakura walked over to where he was standing, and looked at what he thought was just a bunch of lines and colours. "Do you even know how to use this thing?" He asked casually, waving his hand vaguely towards it.

"Err…" Yami didn't want to admit it, but he didn't have clue how the map worked. All he knew was that it was a map, and somehow it was supposed to tell him where everything was.

"You don't, do you?" Yami growled slightly, but other than that he remained silent. "Well, I wouldn't bother trying to use it if you don't know how it works. I'm sure if you just wander around you'll find it somewhere."

"Do not mock me." Yami said, scowling.

"I am not mocking you. And trust me, if I knew how to use this thing then I probably would, but seeing as I don't I'm not really in any position to do so." Yami looked slightly bewildered at him, Bakura grinning slightly. "Maybe I could help you…" He tailed off and waited for Yami's reaction, expecting him to start ranting and raging at him. Instead, he just sighed.

"Fine then. But don't even bother trying to annoy me." He slowly walked away through the hall, pushing his way through the hordes of people around him. Bakura, as much as he didn't like Yami, did not want to get lost, so he quickly caught up with him before he could completely disappear from his sight.

"So…where're we- I mean, where are you going to look?" Yami gave Bakura a backward glance, before quickly looking forward again so as to avoid crashing into someone.

"WE,-" Yami said harshly, "are going over there." He nodded his head towards a set of stairs in the middle of the hall, which were currently swarming with brightly coloured blobs. Bakura could only assume that the brightly coloured blobs were people.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm not one to criticise the Pharaoh's judgement-" Yami snorted. Bakura hesitated before continuing, "but I'm not sure it's such a good idea. I mean, we could get crushed!" Yami laughed.

"Well, you could stay here if you want. You may be all by yourself-" Bakura shuddered as he said this, "But at least you won't get squashed. Well…you're not as likely to get squashed down here, anyway…" Yami stopped and turned to look at Bakura, who hadn't noticed and walked right into him. He smirked a little before taking a step backwards, to save Bakura the bother of having to do it himself. He looked shocked, to say the least, and disgusted at the fact he had actually gone anywhere as close to Yami as that. He soon recovered from this though, and gave Yami a horrified look.

"I'm not staying down here by myself!" Yami raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh…?" Bakura mentally punished himself. Why did he even say something that sounded like he _wanted_ to stay with the Pharaoh?

Yami grinned. He could see that Bakura sincerely regretted saying that he didn't want to stay there by himself, especially being a Tomb robber. Tomb robber's were supposedly frightened of nothing…well, it looked like Bakura had proven that wrong all by himself. _#How ironic…#_ Yami thought.

"OK, completely forget I just said that. I'll…I'll come." Bakura looked completely humiliated…he had managed to make a complete prat out of himself by just being in a very crowded place with a person he now hated.

"Good; let's keep moving. I'm not sure about you, but I don't want to become somebody else's personal carpet…" Bakura, whether it was because he wasn't thinking properly or just because he couldn't be bothered to stop, found himself laughing at Yami's comment. Yami looked at him suspiciously. "Now, is it my imagination, or does the Tomb robber think that I'm funny?" Yami was surprised that he was able to embarrass Bakura so easily…was he really that weak? Yami shook his head, before pushing Bakura in front of him. "Now, we are going that-a-way." He said, pointing his finger to the top left hand side of the staircase. "Are you sure you can manage that?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Bakura said firmly. He made his way slowly over to the staircase, Yami following close behind to make sure he did actually go in the right direction. #_I swear, if it's the last thing I'll do, I'll make him pay for humiliating me… Urgh, how did I get myself into this mess? I'll never be able to look at Yami straight again…ARGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT! OK, I did not just say that. I meant I will never be able to look at Yami with a straight face again…I'm just making things worse for myself, aren't I?#_ Bakura was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice he was walking in completely the wrong direction. Yami, now seriously worried at Bakura's strange behaviour, grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him off into a less crowded area to find out what was going on inside his head.

"Bakura, are you alright?" Yami's voice pierced Bakura's thoughts like a spear, although his reaction couldn't have been more confused.

"Wha…?" Bakura looked at Yami's concerned face for a moment, not quite realising what had happened. "What's wrong?" The puzzled look on Bakura's face suggested that he didn't have a clue what was going on, or what Yami was talking about. "I was going in the right direction, wasn't I?"

"No, you were not going in the right direction." Yami looked sternly at him. "Something's wrong. What is it?" Bakura was surprised by the Pharaoh's concern, but he wasn't going to let himself be fooled by it.

"Nothing's wrong." Bakura tried to push Yami out of the way, but he was forced back against the wall; it was clear that Yami wasn't going to let him go if he didn't say anything.

"Yes, something is wrong; and I intend to find out what it is." Yami gazed steadily at him, determined to find out what the problem was. He didn't even know why he was so concerned; but if it had anything to do with his Hikari and Bakura's, then he wanted to know.

"I…" Yami continued to look into his eyes…it was almost hypnotic. Bakura felt a strong urge to tell Yami everything he was thinking about, but he knew he couldn't…he shouldn't. Especially not what he had accidentally said to himself just moments before. Bakura closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out those eyes…those eyes that were so calming, but could also be his undoing. He felt strange…he had felt it before…but no-it couldn't be…that feeling belonged somewhere else…yet he didn't quite know where. He tried to forget it, but he couldn't…that same feeling just kept coming back, over and over again…was it fear? Fear of the things that had happened to him in the past…and things that belonged in the past. He could feel them rising up from the deepest recesses of his memory, the things that he wanted to forget, the things he hated…the people that he had loved…and pain. Endless pain that seemed to last for an eternity, the screams and pleading reverberating around his head. #_No…it cannot go this far…I won't let it…I won't…I won't…_# "I- I can't do this!" He cried out (Whoa, way too dramatic!). He slid down the wall, covering his face with his hands. "I won't…I won't…" He could remember it all now… His mother, his father…being taken away from him…being beaten up by guards of the king…and then he remembered that king, and how he had done that to so many other families…and yet that king was not Yami. He knew that Yami would never have done that…unless he didn't have a choice in the matter, which so frequently he didn't. All those people he had sent to their death…Bakura now knew he didn't want any of it; he would not have had them killed…if he had a choice. #_Why do I know this? How? I didn't know any of this before…Why has this come up now, of all times? I don't want to remember it…I was happier when I didn't know…_# He opened his eyes to find Yami kneeling in front of him. He took his hands away from his face so he could see better, and quickly wiped the tears away that he only just realised were streaming from his eyes.

"Bakura, I'm sorry…" He sat down next to him and leant against the wall, arm resting on his leg. "If you would rather forget it…"

"Forget what? What do you know?" He said loudly. He buried his face in his hands again, resting his head against his legs. "Why should you care?" He could feel the tears on his face again, but this time he did not attempt to wipe them away; he had given up on everything, on himself, even on his Hikari… "Why did you do this to me? Why did you have to make me remember? Why…?"

"Bakura, keeping your fears and emotions bottled up is not going to help you." Bakura lifted his head up and looked into Yami's eyes…he could see the concern in them, the real concern that a friend would have for another friend…and he felt glad. He was glad that he finally knew that he could trust Yami, and that Yami would hopefully trust him back. Bakura felt Yami's warm hand on his arm, and felt all his fears wash away, drowned out by the tears that were still flowing freely down his face. "Please…let me help you fight your fears. I thought I could help you by making you remember some very important things that you appear to have forgotten…your family, your loved ones, and…fear. If you have no fear then you cannot love…at least, not properly. Don't you want to love Ryou? Despite how much you try, there is always that certain something missing, and without this certain something you know that your love for him will never be true, will never be complete. Isn't this true?" Bakura had no idea how Yami knew about all of this, but he felt that there was no longer any point in trying to keep anything secret…he probably already knew anyway. He nodded his head, casting his gaze towards the ground. It was true…he had never really loved Ryou properly, despite wanting to. But now…now he felt something that he was sure he had never felt before, something so strong that it scared him a little. Yami smiled. "You see? Fear can be a good thing sometimes…like fear for your friends, the fear that you felt when your family was taken away from you-"

"Please-" Yami stopped. He could see the pain, the bitterness on Bakura's face. "Please, don't…don't…" Bakura paused, unable to continue talking. He didn't want to remember it…he could still hear his mother screaming for help, crying out to the guards to let him live, to spare his life…in place of hers. Bakura felt a sudden anger with himself, the same anger he had felt all those years ago…that was when his fear left him. He was too angry with himself to leave any room for fear, and then…he forgot how to love. He turned to Tomb robbing and stealing, killing without mercy…all for the sake of what his mother had done for him. And then he remembered all the people he had killed; how they had cried at him to spare their lives, screaming in pain and falling at his feet…it was so easy, so simple. It was the only way he could shut out the agony of losing his parents, just because of one person…how he had become just like that Pharaoh, cold hearted and cruel. All this, because of the sacrifice his mother had made…for HIM. But he had forgotten that his mother wanted him spared because she loved him…she would not have wanted him to waste his life away in the way that he did. He had disgraced her; he did not even feel worthy to have memories of her. (_AN: When I wrote this, I didn't realise how close this is actually to what happens in the anime! Except the reason why he starts killing people is because he's possessed; his family, and his whole village was destroyed by order of the pharaoh, and he was the only survivor. But I won't tell you why it happens because I don't want to spoil it for you._)

"Bakura, it wasn't your fault…" Yami said soothingly. "You have to stop punishing yourself for something you didn't do…do not disgrace yourself because of something that happened such a long time ago now…you have to let it go. There is nothing you can do now; you cannot change the past. If you really do want to redeem yourself, then you should cherish your parents' memory…then they'll know that you are really grateful for what they did for you that day, and not that it causes you so much pain that you can't bear to even think about them. They loved you Bakura, and still do; you must do the same." Bakura knew that he was right, but that didn't stop the guilt from coursing through his body.

"Yami…" Bakura looked up once again to Yami's face to find that he was still using that same hypnotic stare that he had used before, blanking out everything around him; the noise, the people, everything…everything apart from him and Yami. "I…I don't think I can…it's been too long…I don't know if I can remember what real love feels like…there's no point."

"Bakura, there is a point." Yami said sharply, catching Bakura off guard. "Ryou needs you to love him; his family are all but gone now, and you are the closest thing to family that he can get." It was only then that Bakura realised how similar he and Ryou were…both had lost their families to the forces of evil, and they were the nearest they were going to get to being loved. "Do you understand now?" Bakura nodded his head; despite all his past feelings for Yami, he couldn't help but be grateful to him for all that he had just done.

"Thank you." He said quietly. Yami nodded his head and stood up, holding out his hand. Bakura took his hand and stood up as well, only to find the world around them dissolve into blackness…he was falling, falling…

"Now, we are going that-a-way. Are you sure you can manage it?" Bakura found himself back at the base of the staircase, looking to where Yami was pointing his finger. He stood for a moment, confused. How could he have gone back in time to ten minutes before he remembered being last? It didn't seem possible…and yet, there he was. He began to wonder if it had actually happened at all, when Yami had taken him aside and given him a severe talking to…well, serious talking to at any rate. He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder, and turned to find Yami smiling kindly at him…and he felt strangely reassured by it. #_I suppose it did happen, then…#_ Bakura wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that just after he thought that Yami nodded his head- only very slightly- but it was enough to convince Bakura that he was right.

"Yes, I'm sure." And once again Bakura set off up the staircase, but this time he couldn't have felt happier or closer to anyone in the world…

(Whoa, that was completely and utterly random, by the way. No idea why I wrote it!)

----------

"Oh, lookey who we found." Ryou said as Yami and Bakura walked over to where they were standing.

"We got lost." Bakura muttered bitterly. Yami glared at him, not wanting to admit that he, the Pharaoh, had actually gotten lost in a place that was probably no bigger than his old home. He knew that Yugi would just laugh at him because of it.

"Senile old fools…" Yugi said under his breath, Ryou giggling behind his back.

"What was that?" Bakura said sharply.

"How dare you call us SENILE!" Yami shouted. Yugi snorted at him, making Yami madder, who at this point was turning the colour of a tomato. This transformation did not help his cause, however, as it just made Ryou laugh even harder than he already was.

"Didn't you think to use a map?!" Yugi said hysterically.

"Don't know how to." Bakura mumbled, turning a strange shade of vermilion.

"You must come from the Stone Ages if you don't know how to use one of those!" Yugi grinned at Ryou, who burst into a fresh set of giggles.

"We can't even say you came from the Stone Ages, because that would be complementing you!" Ryou managed to say before he had to stop to catch his breath.

"Actually, that was before our time." Yami said knowingly, glad that he was able to get back at the hikaris and make them look stupid.

"OK, the Iron Ages then." Yugi said, still smiling widely.

"That was the same time as us." Bakura grinned at Yugi and Ryou's annoyed looks.

"Fine then, the Bronze Ages!" Ryou gasped.

"Now that's better!" Yami said, exasperated.

"Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, though…" Bakura said thoughtfully. Yugi and Ryou scowled before stalking off towards the next section.

"Err, where are we going now?" Yami asked, jogging to keep up with them.

"Well, if you really must know…" Ryou pointed up to a sign hanging above the entrance of the exhibit. "The Romans."

"NOOOOO!" Yami and Bakura shouted in unison, gaining them several disapproving glares from various passers by.

"Will you control yourself!" Yugi cried out.

"Please, don't make us go in there!" Yami begged, grabbing Yugi's hand and restraining him from walking over the threshold to the dreaded Roman section.

"Yami, will you PLEASE let go of my hand!" Yugi said through gritted teeth. Yami let him go, looking, and feeling, hurt. "I am not making you go in there. It's your own choice: you can come in there with us, and therefore not get lost; or you can go off again with Bakura all by yourselves, and get lost again. Now, which would you prefer?" Yugi glared meaningfully at him. Yami looked at Bakura, who in turn shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I don't know about you, Pharaoh, but I don't particularly want to get lost again; however, if you really do want to keep your dignity…" Bakura grinned as Yami glared at him, "then I suggest you go and get yourself lost. Not meaning to be rude or anything…"

"Fine then." Yami said as he stood up. He walked past Bakura and grabbed his arm as he went. "You're coming with me." Bakura looked bewildered as Yami dragged him along by his wrist, not having quite realised that he was the one that was losing his dignity rather than the other way round.

"Oh God, they can be SO embarrassing sometimes…" Ryou groaned, covering his face with his hands. "It looks like five thousand years of extra living time didn't do them much good in the maturity department…" Yugi laughed. He took Ryou's arm, and walked with him into the Roman section.

----------

"Why did I have to come with you?" Bakura whined for the billionth time as he and Yami walked down the infinite number of hallways with endless amounts of toilets and cafeterias in them. They had been wandering around for about half and hour now, and they were both getting rather fed up of seeing the same people looking at the same exhibits as they were five minutes before. "I mean, if I had stayed with them I might not actually have gotten lost, but of course you had to drag me along with you…"

"Will you shut the fuck up?! If I had known we-"

"Don't you mean YOU?" Bakura interrupted.

"Shut up, I'm talking!" Yami glared menacingly at Bakura, causing him to wince slightly.

"Fine, have it your way…" He muttered, before falling silent. Yami felt guilty for having shouted at him, but he was still determined for Bakura to hear what he had to say.

"As I was saying, if I had known WE'D get lost this badly then I probably wouldn't have gone." He drew a deep breath, trying to keep his temper under control.

"Why do you always have to include me?" Bakura snapped back, clearly infuriated by the fact that Yami always managed to place part of the blame on him. "In no way, shape or form am I going to take any of the blame for this. It was your fault we got lost and your fault alone!"

"Yeah well, if you hadn't kept on MOANING about me dragging you along-"

"Which you did." Bakura interrupted again. By now Yami's fuse was getting very short; he had a strong urge to wrap his hands around Bakura's neck and strangle him, but once again he managed to restrain himself. Instead he continued as though Bakura hadn't actually said anything.

"-then I would have been able to concentrate on where we were going. However, because you could not keep your fucking mouth shut for just one second, we went round in circles instead." Yami glared angrily at him, trying to make the point that he was right and Bakura was wrong. "Now, let's keep on moving, and maybe if you can be a little more quiet I can find us a way out of here."

"Huh." Bakura sighed grumpily. "I don't suppose there's any point in arguing with you, is there?" He may have been angry with Yami, but he was also feeling a little depressed. He thought that he and Yami had finally come to some sort of understanding, but Yami was acting like it had never happened. He could feel his eyes stinging as cold tears started to well up in his eyes. He sniffed quietly, lowering his face so Yami couldn't see him…he wanted to be spared from the pain of being humiliated in front of him, BY him. Bakura would never have normally cried over something like this, but no one had ever shown him as much understanding as Yami had…not even Ryou. #_Yami…why are you so angry with me? You're acting like you can't even trust me…but I trust you. Then again, what's the point? What's the point in trusting you? You could have just been nice to me that one time so you would have an advantage over me, so you could push me away like I don't matter, like I don't exist…_#

"Bakura…" He looked up angrily at Yami, annoyed that he had the cheek to try and be civil to him. He surprised to see, however, that Yami couldn't have looked guiltier in his whole life. "I'm sorry, Bakura. I didn't mean to ignore you, I just-" He stopped when he saw Bakura's puzzled expression.

"How…how are you able to hear my thoughts?" He asked nervously. He couldn't be sure that that was what Yami was doing, but how else could he have reacted in that way?

"Although you may not know it Bakura, we are connected. It may not be strong yet, but it is enough to allow us to hear each other's thoughts…you just haven't learnt how to yet." Yami looked sympathetically at him.

"Well, that can't be fair. How come I can't hear your thoughts? And what do you mean, 'not that strong yet'? How are we connected? Since when?" Yami smiled and shook his head.

"Just concentrate, Bakura. It will come in time. We are connected because we had the same fate as each other; one that we alone share." Yami looked sincerely at him, before turning and walking away. After a few metres he stopped again and came back to Bakura, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Uh…" Bakura looked quizzically at him.

"Try it now." Yami said suddenly.

"Try what now?" Bakura knew what Yami was talking about, but he just wanted to make sure that that was what it really was.

"Try listening to my mind." He grinned. "But of course you already knew that." Bakura looked doubtful.

"But I don't how to." He knew that he probably sounded really pathetic when he said that, but at that moment he couldn't care less. All he was concerned about was getting back at Yami for listening to his thoughts by doing the same to him.

"Just…" Yami gazed into his eyes, using the same hypnotic stare that he had used earlier on that day. "…concentrate…focus your mind on me…don't stop…" Bakura did as he was told, not caring about the fact that probably everyone was looking at them really weirdly- #_Bakura…you need not be concerned about them. Just concentrate on…us…_# He started as Yami's voice swam into his head, a little incomprehensible at first; but it quickly became loud and clear, reverberating through his mind. #_Focus on me… Do not stop…#_ Yami kept on repeating this in his head, over and over again, until he was sure that Bakura had heard it. "What did I say?"

"You said…" Bakura gazed listlessly at Yami's face, not yet understanding what he had just done. "You said…that I should just concentrate on us…that I should I focus on you, and…not to stop." He took in a shuddering breath; was what Yami said just something to help him? Or did it have a deeper meaning, something as yet unbeknownst to him?

"Correct; I did say that. And to answer your last question…maybe." #_Maybe…_# He smiled secretively at him, before once again walking on ahead, only turning around to tell Bakura to hurry up. He fell to a steady pace behind Yami, burying himself deep within his thoughts.

#_Why did he say that? This is so weird…what I thought would be a relatively normal day out at the museum has turned out to be one of the strangest days of my life… First Yami manages to read my mind supposedly because of our fates being connected, and THEN he makes me read HIS mind…and-#_ His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Yami, who was obviously uncomfortable with the fact that he was quickly grappling onto the hidden meaning behind what he had said.

#_Bakura, you don't have to worry about what I said.#_

_#Yami! Will you stop listening in on my thoughts?! How can someone think private thoughts if they have somebody else listening to them?!#_

_#I'm sorry, I can't help it.#_

_#Why?# _Yami fellback so he was walking alongside Bakura, and rested his arm on his shoulder. Bakura felt a little uncomfortable with this, but Yami just smiled reassuringly at him.

#_Why? Because.# _Yami paused for a moment, thinking of what he should say. #_Because…we have to keep this connection strong. In the sense that if we don't communicate like this, our link will…fade._# He sighed. #_You never know when we will need it…_# He looked at Bakura, who was looking slightly confused.

#_What do you mean, fade? I thought it was a bit more permanent than that…_# He grimaced. He realised that he and Yami were now probably closer to each other than Yugi and Ryou were.

#_Closer in the sense that we can communicate like this?_#

#_Yami! I thought I told you not to do that!#_ Bakura thought furiously, shaking Yami's arm off of his shoulder.

#_Sorry.# _Yami quickened his pace so he was once again walking ahead of Bakura, the fact dawning on him that he was probably being a bit too persistent. He didn't want to break a friendship that he had only just made; it may be one that he would end up relying heavily upon in the future…and anyway, Ryou and Yugi were getting increasingly annoyed with their constant bickering. Yami didn't want Yugi to get mad with him again…after all, they had only been together for a couple of days. Yami loved him more than anything else in the world, and he wanted to do all he could to prove it to him. And besides, wouldn't Bakura want the same for his Hikari? He may not have loved him properly before, but now wouldn't he surely want to make it up to him? Yami hoped so; he cared about his friends, and that included Ryou. He knew that Bakura would want to.

#_You're right, Yami; I do want to make it up to him. And if it weren't for you…well, I probably wouldn't do that, would I?_# Yami gasped a little and looked round to find that Bakura was now walking next to him, a warm smile on his face. #_Maybe there are some other people I should make it up to, too…_#

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Luff: Wahoo! I have finally finished the chapter! Ok, there is about half a dozen things that I haven't actually put in here, but that's because it would make this chapter too long. It's ten pages long! The longest chapter I have written so far. However, those half a dozen things will be in the next chapter. Hopefully.

Seto: #YAWN# HINT HINT.

Luff: Sorry.

Joey: What about us? Are we going to be in the next chapter?

Luff: Umm…probably not! :)

Téa: That's not fair! #Sniff# Me and Tristan haven't been mentioned for ages!

Tristan: Yeah! What about us?

Luff: Oh, ming ming ming. Anyways, groovy Sonic X is starting on Wednesday (Yay!), so it might inspire me to write some more! If you're lucky.

Yugi: Yeah, IF.

Luff: Shut up. Anyways, as always, please R&R, and I mean the second R this time. REVIEW PLEASE, BEFORE I GO CRAZY. Thank you.


	8. Soul to Squeeze

Note: well, because I feel so nice I decided I would put up my next chapter instead of deleting my story, because of the TWO reviews I got. I would also like to point out that this will not gain you regular updates.

However, thank you very much to **Yugi and Mai** and **Sansi**, your reviews are much appreciated! At least someone's interested…I hope you appreciate this chapter too, its 33 pages long! As a gift for not updating for so long, I suppose…

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning: **In this chapter there is a sex scene. I think that it's better if I don't put them up on the website, despite what I've said in previous chapters, so if you want it please email me. Also there is intended-rape-but-doesn't-actually-happen sort of thing. So yeah.

* * *

**Episode 8 – Soul To Squeeze**

Yugi and Ryou resolved to wander around the Roman section for as long as possible, deciding that it would be better if they avoided their Yami's for a while to avoid any further embarrassment on their part. Unfortunately, the Roman section soon became hideously boring, so to entertain themselves they started to do some stupid impressions of their Yami's.

"'Oh, they stole that from us!'" Yugi barely managed to suppress the huge grin that was now spreading across his face. He was pointing his finger towards a smear of mud on the floor, just before a tall, burly man walked over it. "'NO! How could you!'" Yugi cried after him, his face turning bright red from the repressed laughter.

"Yugi! Shh!" Ryou giggled, leaning on Yugi's shoulder as a support. The man gave them an annoyed look and muttered something before walking away.

"Ooh, spooky possums!" (NOTE: he is saying that as if he was talking to someone. He is not actually talking about spooky possums.) Ryou snorted, reducing them both to a heap of hysterical laughter. Yugi quickly managed to control himself, putting on a serious face. "What! I don't see what's so funny. This precious piece of mud should be behind glass, but nobody seems to be acknowledging that fact!" Yugi crossed his arms and pouted his lips, nodding his head knowingly.

"Oh, Yugi!" Ryou grabbed Yugi by the arm and started pulling him along, walking past the man that he had just shouted at. He glared menacingly at them, giving them an 'If-you-do-that-again-I'm-going-to-kill-you' sort of look. Ryou hid behind Yugi, looking at the man with mock fright; he wanted to see how pissed off this man could get before he started chasing them. "Come on, let's go! That man is scawing me!" Ryou said in a babyish voice, wrapping his arms around Yugi's neck. Yugi blushed slightly, sighing gently. He turned, smiling, to look at Ryou, who was resting his head on Yugi's shoulder. Ryou smiled back, closing his eyes. He let his arms fall down until they were around Yugi's waist, drawing his body closer to him. The man, who had been watching all of this, was now completely confused; he grumbled something about kids and respect, before wandering off in the opposite direction. Ryou buried his face into Yugi's neck, breathing in his sweet scent. "Yugi…" Yugi drew in a shuddering breath.

"Ryou…" Yugi murmured, pulling Ryou's arms further around his body. He was so close to him now, and Yugi wasn't prepared to let him go – not while he had a chance to tell him his feelings.

He was just about to turn his head to look at him, when his felt Ryou's lips pressed up against his cheek. Shocked by this sudden show of affection, Yugi jerked his head away; he didn't know if he was prepared for this…this didn't put Ryou off for long, though, for he was soon kissing Yugi's cheek again. Yugi was reminded of all the things that had happened the previous day, a fleeting image of Yami passing through his mind. _No…I can't do this to Yami…not again…I love him; I shouldn't love Ryou. _Ryou noticed Yugi's sudden lack of movement, and lifted his face away from his cheek, looking into his eyes.

"Yugi?" He asked timidly, his smile fading rapidly from his face.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Ryou. We should get going." Yugi let go of Ryou's arms and walked off, shivering as he left the warmth of his body.

Ryou looked guiltily after him, the realisation of consequences that would have happened if he had taken it any further dawning on his mind. And anyway, wasn't he supposed to love Bakura? Even if that was so, Ryou never really felt that Bakura was giving him all the love that he could, like he was only capable of so much. Ryou hugged himself as he slowly walked after Yugi, tears filling his eyes. All he wanted was to be loved properly; he supposed that was the reason why he tried to seek comfort in Yugi, making up excuses that he had always felt that way towards him…but now he just felt lost and even more confused than he already was.

"Yugi…" He whispered, letting a cold tear run down his cheek and splash onto his arm. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

* * *

"I wonder where Yugi and Ryou are?" Bakura said thoughtfully. He and Yami had managed to get themselves together and find their way to the Ancient Egyptian exhibit, only to find that there was no sign of their Hikaris anywhere.

They spent a few minutes looking around, deciding that Yugi and Ryou where probably just taking their time; but their continual absence began to worry the Yami's greatly.

"They're sure taking their time…where are they?" Yami sighed; he wasn't the most patient of people, and their fruitless search was beginning to infuriate him.

"Hey, relax! There's no need to get wound up about it. Just be patient, they'll turn up." Bakura said reassuringly.

"And surely by now you would have realised that I'm not a tolerant person?" Yami snapped back, before sighing and shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Bakura…I'm just worried."

"You don't have to be." Bakura said, smiling.

"Err…and why is that?" Yami said, estranged by Bakura's comment.

"Because they're right over there." He replied, nodding his head in his direction. Yami turned to see Yugi walking slowly towards them, head down, dragging his feet behind him. He stopped in front of him and lifted up his head, a solitary tear running down his face.

"Yu-Yugi?" Yugi continued to look at him, guilt written all over his face. "What's wrong? What-" But he was cut off by Yugi, who threw himself at Yami and cried uncontrollably into his chest.

"I'm s-sorry, Yami!" Yami gaped at him, feeling utterly bewildered.

"What are you talking about? You haven't done anything!" But Yugi continued to sob into his torso, gripping his t-shirt with an unyielding grasp. Yami wrapped his arms around him in the hopes of comforting him; instead Yugi just cried even louder than he already was.

_#What do you think is wrong with him?#_ Yami looked over to Bakura, who was looking rather distracted- only then did Yami realise that Ryou wasn't with him.

_#Where's Ryou?# _Yami asked, confused. He could have sworn he was following Yugi…but then again, he never really had time to look properly.

"I don't know…" Bakura said. It wasn't long before he realised what he had done though, and began to mentally punish himself for his stupidity.

_#Bakura! Be careful. I don't think we should let Ryou and Yugi know about our link just yet…#_

_#Yeah, I figured…listen, you look after Yugi while I try to find Ryou. He has to be around here somewhere.#_

_#Ok. Tell me when you find him.#_ Bakura smiled at him, before walking quickly in the direction that Yugi had come from, turning his head from side to side as he searched for his Hikari.

"Now then…" Yami said, turning his attention back to Yugi, who's sobbing had by now subsided a little. He placed his hand on the back on Yugi's neck, tilting his head up so that he was looking into his eyes. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong, Yugi? Or are you going to keep me guessing?" Yugi looked fearfully up at him, scared of how Yami would react if he said what was wrong.

"I-" He stopped, clamping his eyes shut and gritting his teeth. Yami sighed, knowing that this wouldn't get very far if he didn't use his own little method of persuasion…

"Yugi." Yugi didn't react, keeping his eyes firmly closed. "Yugi, look at me. Now." Yami said, a little more harshly this time. Yugi opened his eyes, looking hurt. He hadn't said anything, and already Yami was mad with him.

"I'm sorry-"

"Shush." Yugi looked at him, confused. Didn't Yami want him to say what had happened? Yugi continued to stare at him, Yami's fiery eyes piercing his mind and soul. Yugi's eyelids began to droop, and he felt himself drifting off…to where, he didn't know…all he knew…was…sleep…

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes to find that he was in his soul room, which was empty apart from his bed and a crackling fire, the only source of light and heat in his room. He liked it this way- he came here whenever he needed time to think, and decided that he would just keep it simple so his mind wouldn't be distracted by outside attractions. He walked over to his bed and laid down on it, closing his eyes and burying his face in the soft, warm pillows that surrounded him.

Yugi had come here a lot before he finally got together with Yami…his soul room had been his only comfort back then. He had no one he could tell his love for Yami to. He had spent most of his time in there masturbating and dreaming of Yami. It seemed silly to Yugi now, but back then it meant so much to him.

Yugi sat up and lifted up one of the pillows that were behind him, picking up the pot of lubrication that he used to use.

"Huh…" He said, smiling. He turned the pot around in his hand, pondering on whether he should use it again now. He might as well; he didn't know why else he was there. But then again…

He closed his eyes, turning the pot around in his hands. #_It would be better if Yami were here, too…# _He opened his eyes again, only to find that to his horror Yami was standing right in front of him, gazing steadily at him. Yugi hadn't actually expected Yami to appear.

"Uh! Y-Yami- I-"

"Shush." Yugi fell quiet, not quite able to tell if Yami was mad with him or not. Yami walked towards him, stopping only when he reached the edge of his bed. He knelt down in front of him and took the pot from Yugi's hand, placing it next to him on the covers. "We're going to be needing this…" He whispered in Yugi's ear, before making a line of kisses from his ear to his mouth.

"What are you going to do?" Yugi asked nervously, as Yami pushed him down onto bed, persistently licking his neck.

"I'm gonna fuck you, Yugi…what else?" He said lustfully in his ear, biting down on it as said it. Yugi whined as Yami lifted up his shirt up over his head, sucking his nipples once he had done so.

"Yami…" Yugi whimpered as he felt himself hardening, gripping on the bed sheets to stop himself from moaning.

Yami reached his hand round the of Yugi's neck and, in finding his sensitive spot, began to rub it with his fingers. Yugi found that he was no longer able to control himself as a loud moan issued from his mouth, encouraging Yami to go faster.

"Yami, please…stop…" Yugi began to cry: cold, cruel tears ran off the sides of his face as he desperately tried to wriggle his way out from underneath Yami. "You said- ARGH!" He screamed as Yami's free hand found its way down his trousers and started to finger his groin, keeping up a rhythmic and torturously slow pace. "YAMI, STOP! YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN'T HURT ME AGAIN!" Yugi yelled, lashing out with his legs in an attempt to push Yami off him.

And then Yami stopped. He stood up, looking at Yugi with horror. Surprised, but none the less still angry, Yugi pushed himself across the bed as far away from Yami as possible before diving under the bed covers and curling up into a ball. Yami looked guiltily at the quivering lump under the sheets, which was now crying loudly, evidently hurt by Yami's behaviour.

"Yugi…?" Yugi made a loud sobbing noise before continuing with his crying. Yami was tempted to go and hit his head on one of the walls- he had no idea why he did it. #_Fuck…fuck fuck FUCK!_# He screamed mentally, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. He felt them stinging as blood started to seep out, covering his hands in crimson irrigates. He didn't lift up his fingers until the blood started to drip onto the floor, his hands now shaking with the agonising pain. Despite this, Yami continued to cut away at his hands and wrists, slashing and clawing with his fingernails until he could no longer do it. The blood continued to pour out at a worrying pace, his arms now stained red from the hot liquid gushing down them.

Breathing heavily, Yami sat himself down on the floor and placed his hands in his lap, leaning against the frame of the bed. #_What happened? I didn't want to do this…why couldn't I control myself?_# He bit his lip in an attempt to control the mounting pain in his hands; he didn't want Yugi to think he was being selfish by trying to be the one that was hurt. He felt a tear run down his face and fall onto his bloodied hands. He was about to wipe the tear away before realising that he would just end up looking even worse then he already did. Instead he just allowed the tears to flow freely down his face, wishing against all wishes that Yugi knew how sorry he was. He closed his eyes, wanting to just sink away into the floor and never be seen again…

* * *

Yugi stayed under the covers of his bed, waiting for Yami to get out of his soul room. Soon he stopped crying, his head hurting from his continual sobbing. Instead, he decided to try and probe Yami's mind; he wanted to know if what Yami had done was something that was intentional on his part, or whether Yami didn't think that he would react as badly as this. Yugi looked into Yami's mind, not really sensing much more than confusion and anger. Not completely satisfied by this, but not bothered to continue, Yugi was just about to withdraw from his mind when he felt a sudden, stinging pain in his hands. He gasped, clutching his hands between his legs to try and shut out the pain; but it was in vain. Deciding that it would be better if Yugi saw what the pain was himself, he slowly and quietly came out from under the covers and inspected his hands, only to find that to his astonishment there was nothing there; there was not a trace of blood or bruising to be seen. But the pain was still there, as plain as day.

Yugi slowly turned his head to look at Yami, afraid of what he might do if he went near him again. He could hear Yami's laboured breathing, and felt disgusted; Yugi thought it was because he still wanted to fuck him, but it soon became to clear to him that that was not the reason.

Yugi crawled his way over the bed, going quietly so that Yami would not hear him. He reached the edge and peeked his head over, only just enough so he could see Yami.

Yami appeared to holding something in his lap, but Yugi was in the wrong position to see what it was. He looked pale and sweaty, and was biting his lip, his eyes closed. #_Huh…no wonder he hasn't noticed me yet.#_ Yugi thought. Just then, Yami lifted up his arm, raising his hand to his face. And then he saw it.

Blood. Bright red blood, flowing out of his hands and down his arms; there was already a large pool of it forming on the floor, and it was rapidly growing. Yugi only then noticed the tears of pain that were running Yami's cheeks; Yami was doing his best to wipe them away with his shaking hand, but it was to no avail. He appeared to be giving up on himself, slumping sideways onto the floor, trying to curl himself up into a ball.

"Yami!" Yugi shrieked in horror. #_Oh my God, what has he done to himself!_# He jumped off the bed onto the floor; in spite of himself being angry with Yami, he couldn't help but be aghast by his injured lover. He fell to his knees in front of him, trying his best to think of something he could do; but all he could do was watch with a sickening pain as Yami slowly lost his consciousness as he desperately tried to stem the flow of blood. "Yami, don't give up! Please stay awake!" Yugi looked around wildly for something he could use to cover Yami's hands, and spotted his t-shirt that was lying discarded on the bed. He grabbed it and tried to see how he could use to wrap both his hands, but it did not seem like it would be much use; there was too much blood coming out, and Yugi did not see the point in trying to cover it. Instead, he used it to wipe up the blood that was still covering his arms, trying his best to see where the blood was mostly coming from.

"Yugi…" Yami coughed, squinting up at him through pained eyes. "I'm so sorry…I didn't want to hurt you, I just-" He drew in a shuddering breath, the agony becoming too much for him to bear much longer.

"It's okay Yami…" Yugi said soothingly, gently stroking Yami's tears away with his clean hand. "I know you didn't want to do it. Just relax, okay?" Yami appeared to calm down after that; either because he was taking Yugi's advice or he had lost so much blood that the effort of talking had drained the last of his energy. In either case, Yugi tried his best to lift Yami up into a sitting position, cradling his hands in his now blood-soaked shirt. "Oh Yami, you're so stupid…" Yugi whispered through gritted teeth, thinking quickly of something he could do. And then he remembered: he could get anything he wanted here.

He turned around to see a small, plain white cabinet standing behind him, with a red cross imprinted on the front. He hurried over to it and opened the door, the room rapidly filling with the smell of antiseptic. He grabbed a bowl of steaming hot water and some dry bandages, along with a bottle of antiseptic spray, before carefully walking back over to the bed. He placed the water on the floor and the spray and bandages on the bed, before wrapping his arms around Yami's chest and heaving him up onto the bed.

"Yugi…" Yami said weakly, straining to look at him with unfocused eyes. "Why are you doing this for me? I hurt you…I don't deserve this." He attempted to pull his hands away from Yugi's, but Yugi held them in a firm grip, still determined to help him.

"Surely by now you would have realised that I don't care about that?" Yugi knelt down in front of him, before kissing him tenderly on the lips. "Yami, I love you so much. I know now that you didn't want to do it, I've already said that. Please just let me do this." Yami closed his eyes and bowed his head, but apart from that made no other movement. Yugi kissed him again before moving the bowl in between his legs, making a sponge materialise in his hand.

He dipped the sponge in the still steaming water, before squeezing it off and gently wiping down Yami's arms and hands of the sticky blood, which had begun to congeal on his skin. Yugi was surprised when he made no objection to his hands being washed; he had expected him to wince or shudder, but he made no movement whatsoever. Yugi admired him for his bravery. If it were he having his hands cleaned like this, he would have been crying to no end.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Yugi asked quietly, gazing at Yami's face. He opened his eyes a little to look at Yugi, before lowering his gaze to the floor.

"Yes…" He continued to stare listlessly at the ground, completely wrapped up on his own thoughts. Well, not that his thinking was amounting to much; his mind was just a haze of words and emotions, which made no sense to him at all. Yugi sighed before continuing to sponge Yami's arms, checking them thoroughly to make sure he hadn't missed any blood.

Once he had finished doing this, placing the sponge in the bowl, he picked it up and placed it back in the cupboard where it disappeared. He stayed there for a few moments longer looking through the cabinet, before walking back again with a clean towel in his hands. He then proceeded to dry Yami off, carefully dabbing his hands so as not to hurt them too much.

The bleeding had subsided a little, and Yugi could now see where Yami had cut and scratched at his hands and wrists with his nails, his skin now surprisingly pale after the brightness of the blood. Yugi picked up the bottle of antiseptic spray and removed the little hygiene cap that was on the top, before gripping Yami's hand tightly in his own.

"This is going to sting a little…" Yugi said, before spraying the still-shaking hand in the cleansing liquid. This time Yami reacted to being sprayed, hissing and recoiling as the first of the fluid touched his skin. Yugi, surprised by this sudden movement, did not try to keep a hold on Yami's hand. He felt hurt, but tried his best not to show his emotions to him. Instead he waited for Yami to move, too afraid to try and take his hand against his will.

"Ow…" Yami growled, frowning at his hand. He glanced up and felt tears springing to his eyes when he saw the expression on Yugi's face; he looked so innocent and sad, looking at him with a mixture of the strongest love, but a great amount of fear. "I'm sorry…" Yami cried, letting the tears flow freely down his face once more. "I was just surprised. Can you- can you…forgive me? For what I've done?" Yami looked directly into Yugi's eyes, stroking his face with the back of his hand. Yugi's eyes began to glisten as he too started to cry, nodding his head slowly.

Yami couldn't bear it any longer. He suddenly pulled Yugi into a tight embrace, kissing him with all the love and affection he could muster. Their tears mingled with each other's on their cheeks, at last able to let their love and passion flow into the other in this one, long, unbreakable kiss.

They didn't know how long they stayed like that for, but to them it felt like an eternity. They wished it would last that long, where they could forever be held in the other's loving arms.

Yugi eventually broke their kiss, standing up and sitting on Yami's lap, pressing his forehead against Yami's. Yugi sat like this for a moment, before once again picking up the bottle of spray and gently taking Yami's hand in his own.

"Now…are you ready this time?" Yugi asked, kissing Yami's forehead. He nodded his head, resting it on Yugi's chest. Yugi smiled, before once again proceeding to spray Yami's hands with the antiseptic. This time Yami did not try and pull his hands away, even as the white-hot pain seared through them.

Once Yugi had finished, he placed the bottle back down on the bed, picked up the bandages and began to wrap Yami's hands up in them. All the while Yami quietly obliged to Yugi's requests, not once resisting him. Yugi tied up the ends in a knot, before sliding off Yami's lap and placing the un-used bandages and antiseptic spray in the cupboard. He stood there and watched as it disappeared in a cloud of black and purple smoke, taking the antiseptic smell with it.

"Thank you." Yugi turned to see Yami standing behind him, and at last he was smiling; he looked a little unsure, but not for long as Yugi fell into his arms and held him in a tight embrace. Yami attempted to hold Yugi closer to him, slipping his arms around his bare body and gently stroking Yugi's back with one of his injured hands. "Yugi…" He whispered, kissing his ear softly. "I promise you I'll never do it again." Yugi lifted his head up and looked at Yami, a mixture of pity and uncertainty in his eyes.

"But Yami…that still doesn't explain why you did it. Please tell me." Yami couldn't help but be entranced by the beautiful violet eyes that were gazing quietly up at him, so innocent yet they seemed to be full of mystery and suspense. He felt like they were piercing into his very soul, probing and exploring his mind for unexplained answers he had been given.

"I don't know…" Yami knew this was a stupid answer, but what else could he say? Yami cursed himself as Yugi's face fell, his beautiful eyes now filled with bitter disappointment. "Yugi…" But Yugi was already walking away from him back towards the bed, staring down at his bloodied t-shirt. It was only then that Yami remembered why he had taken Yugi here in the first place: to find out why Yugi had been crying. "Hold on, I still need to ask you something." Yugi stopped, and remained still.

"You want to know what happened?" Yugi said quietly, his head hanging. "Well then, I'll tell you." He paused for a moment, before continuing, "He…k-kissed me." Yami stared at him, a disbelieving look on his face. "I'm sorry…" Yugi felt a tear run down his face as he climbed onto his bed and lay down, with his back still facing Yami. He felt even worse by the fact that he had actually wanted Ryou to kiss him, that he had allowed himself to get so close to him.

"Yugi…why didn't you tell me before?" Yami said. Yugi could hear the sadness in his voice, the guilt once again springing up in his heart.

"I'm sorry…" Yugi said again, his voice faltering. He heard Yami sigh before listening to him walk over to the bed, so Yugi pulled the duvet out form under him and covered his head with it. Yugi expected the footsteps to stop; but instead they continued, as if Yami where walking around the bed. Yugi was thrown forward slightly as he felt the opposite end tilt downwards, and felt movements on his bed as Yami crawled towards him. He jumped when he felt something touch his arm, and opened his eyes to find Yami staring at him, his face full of concern. Yugi poked his head out from underneath the covers and pulled them tightly around his neck, watching Yami pop up next to him and lay his head down on a pillow.

"Yugi…" Yami whispered, kissing Yugi's forehead lightly. "You don't have to worry about that. No matter what, I will always love you." He stroked Yugi's face gently, kissing his soft lips.

"Please don't be mad at him…" Yugi said quietly, pulling away from Yami.

"Mad at Ryou?" Yami sighed. "Yugi, let's get this straight. Do you love him? Let me at least know that." Yugi looked away from Yami's eyes, shivering slightly from the cold. Yami wrapped his arms protectively around his aibou, cradling him in his loving embrace.

"I…don't really know…I was just confused. But…maybe Ryou kissed me because he feels confused too. Maybe Bakura doesn't love him or something, I don't know."

"Hmm, maybe he didn't…but he does now." Yugi looked up at him, confused; how exactly would Yami know how Bakura felt?

"How do you know that?" Yami smiled, closing his eyes.

"He told me…Bakura. He couldn't love because there was something in him missing."

"What?" Yugi didn't know how Yami got all of this out of Bakura, but however he did it, it might possibly have meant that the two of them had finally stopped fighting with each other. Yami had to really have gained Bakura's trust to be able to get that out of him.

"Bakura had forgotten fear…what it was like to be afraid." Yami opened his eyes again and looked seriously at Yugi. "But you mustn't let him know that I've told you, ok? I don't think he wanted any one else to know about it."

* * *

AN: I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to put sex in here. If you want all the lemon for my story, please review me with your email address and I'll send them to you. Thank you!

* * *

Yugi woke up from his dream-like state to the immense pain in his anus, and only just managed to stop himself from crying out. He opened his eyes to find that he all he could see was blackness; and whatever it was, it was wet, too. He pulled his head back to find that he was staring at Yami's t-shirt, which was soaked with his tears…but why was he crying? Yugi looked up into Yami's face to find him smiling down at him, gently stroking the back of his head. He then scanned the area around him to find that he was in the ancient Egyptian exhibit back in the museum, which was exactly like he remembered it before he went into his soul room.

_#Obviously time must not have passed in this realm…#_ Yugi thought to himself. #_Unless I didn't actually go to my soul room…but I did. I'm sure of it_.# He glanced back to Yami's face, confusion brain-washing his mind. Yami pressed the back of his hand against Yugi's cheek, and Yugi felt the soft scratchiness of the bandages that he had wrapped around Yami's wounds. He closed his eyes and smiled, resting his head back against Yami's t-shirt. He didn't stay like this for long though, because the cold wetness made it uncomfortable to lean on.

"I'm sorry…" Yugi said, looking guiltily at Yami's shirt. Even though it was black, it was still obvious that it was wet. "Come on, let's see if we can find a toilet."

"Why?" Yami asked, confused. Yugi giggled, quickly drying his eyes off after realising they were still wet.

"Because you need to dry your t-shirt…" Yugi said, indicating the wet patch on it. Yami smiled, before taking Yugi by the arm and walking slowly in the direction of the loos. Yugi found this difficult, however; Yami's earlier penetration was still causing him pain. "Yami…I can't walk…" Yugi said, leaning heavily on Yami's arm as a support. Yami stopped, looking at his aibou with concern.

"Come here…" He said, before gently picking Yugi up and carrying him. Yugi wrapped his legs around Yami's waist, resting his head on his shoulder.

"I love you…" Yugi whispered in his ear, planting a small, discreet kiss on his neck.

"I love you too…" Yami whispered back.

* * *

_#Ryou! Where are you!#_ Bakura called desperately, running around a corner in the building, his heart sinking as he found the area completely deserted. "RYOU! AIBOU!" Bakura cried, falling back against a cold, concrete wall. He slid down it until he reached the floor, tears flooding down his face. #_Ryou…please say something…#_

He heard footsteps passing by him, but Bakura couldn't be bothered to look up to see who it was. He didn't care about how much people stared at him; he just wanted to wallow in his anger. His heart was broken; he loved Ryou so much, but Ryou made no response to his frantic calls.

Bakura drew his legs up to his chest, embracing them with his arms as he cried into his knees.

_#Why won't you answer me, Ryou…?#_ He heard another set of footsteps pass by him, stop, and then walk off again. Bakura lifted up his head to see who it was; he didn't want to completely miss Ryou if he walked past. But to his disappointment he saw brown hair, not the familiarly beautiful, white, sweet-smelling hair of his hikari. He sighed in annoyance, his unsuccessful search now beginning to take its toll on him.

He let his arms fall to his sides, his head now resting against the wall. What wasn't he doing right? Usually the connection between them would have led him to Ryou, but so far it had not worked. He always seemed to be a little ahead of him, just around the corner; or maybe just to his left or right. But no matter how much he tried, he always seemed to be just that bit further away from him where he could not see him. He decided that this tactic was obviously not going to work, no matter how hard he tried; so instead he stood up and started to walk back the way he came, not bothering to wipe away the tears that were still leaking out of his eyes.

_#Hey, Bakura!#_ Yami's voice suddenly filled Bakura's head, his words reverberating around his brain.

_#Yeah, what?#_ Bakura replied impatiently, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to control his mounting anger.

_#Sorry…#_ Yami sounded hurt, not expecting Bakura to reply so spitefully. #_Have you found him yet? You've been quite a while._#

_#No, I have not found him yet, and if I had I would have told you.# _Bakura said stiffly, not caring about the fact that Yami was upset by his harsh tones.

_#Well, do you want us to help you then?#_ Bakura was angered even more by Yami's persistence, Yami knowing full well that it was not a good idea to talk to him while he was in a bad mood.

_#Do what you want. I don't care.#_ Bakura thought that this would be enough to make Yami shut up, but was shocked to find that he would not stop talking.

_#Bakura, just because you can't find Ryou, it doesn't mean you have to take your anger out on me! I'M trying to help you, but all you're doing is acting like a bloody child! And I thought you had changed…_# Yami's voice was filled with disappointment, not just because of him appearing to be turning back into his old self, but because he thought that he would be able to talk to him without their conversation ending up in an argument, like it had always done before.

_#Ra, I swear you're turning into Yugi…# _Bakura said, sighing. #_I'm sorry.#_

_#Don't worry about it.#_ Yami still sounded a little upset, but he continued to talk anyway. #_Where are you?#_

_#Haven't the foggiest.#_ Bakura only then realised that he didn't have a clue where he was, and was currently wandering aimlessly down a corridor with glass cabinets attached to the walls. They were filled with crumbling artefacts and ancient-looking jugs. Well at least what was left of the jugs anyway; most of the displays only had small fragments left, like a handle or the lip. #_Um, there are a lot of broken bits of piss-jars…#_

_#Err…? Piss-jars? Please explain.#_

_#Oh, FINE then, there are a lot of broken bits of jugs. Happy now?#_

_#Yes…but can't you be a little more- specific? You know, like is there a sign saying 'you are in the so-and-so section' ex-cetera ex-cetera?_ (NOTE: I know that's not how you spell etcetera, it's just the way he pronounces the word.)

_#Urgh…#_ Bakura squinted around the corridor, trying to discern something that would look vaguely like a sign, but he found nothing. #_Nope. Unless that includes 'this way to toilets'. Which I doubt it does.#_

_#Well, can't you look around then?#_

_#What do you think I'm doing!_# Bakura replied incredulously, walking into a room that was on the end of the corridor, turning his head from side to side as he continued to search for clues as to his where about. #_Well, maybe if you tell me where you are, it might help._#

_#We are somewhere around the Ancient Egyptian section, in a toilet.#_

_#In a toilet? And why, may I ask, are you in a toilet?#_

_#We are in a toilet because I had to dry my t-shirt.#_

_#Err…#_

_#Yugi was crying and it got wet.#_

_#Oh. You worried me for a second there. I mean, you and Yugi, in a toilet, and you with a wet t-shirt…#_

_#You are sick. A, I would never do that in a public toilet, and B, I probably wouldn't be wearing my shirt whilst doing it…#_

_#Ha ha! I'm not the only sick one here now, am I?#_

_#That is beside the point. You are supposed to be finding out where you are Bakura, not be playing little guessing games as to what me and Yugi have been doing.#_

_#Eh?#_

_#Oh, will you just hurry up and find yourself! We haven't got all day! And the fact that you haven't found Ryou yet doesn't particularly help, either._# Bakura sighed, laughing at Yami's impatience. It was strange, but he seemed to have cheered up considerably during his conversation with Yami.

Bakura walked around for a few more minutes, continually searching for a sign telling him where he was. He walked into a rather large room, and to his relief he found a sign above the entrance to the exhibit.

_#Great! I've found out where I am!#_

_#Go on, then.#_ Bakura peered at the sign, and began to read off of it.

_#I'm in the…oh, FUCK!#_ There, right in front of him, was the dreaded sign which had in big, bold letters 'ROMANS'. #_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm in the Ra-forsaken Roman section! HELP! Have to get out of here!#_ No sooner had he said this before he was running out of the room towards the exit, Yami's hysterical laughter ringing around his brain. #_And you can shut up! It was bad enough with me being in there without you laughing at me!#_ This did not help him, however, as Yami started laughing even louder then he was before.

_#I can't help it! You're acting like you're going to die!#_

_#Well I would have done if I had stayed in that cursed place any longer! And STOP LAUGHING AT ME! You're giving me a head-ache!#_

_#S-sorry…#_ Yami's laughter subsided, only letting out the occasional giggle as Bakura continued to walk around, trying to find his way to where they were.

_#Isn't Yugi getting suspicious?#_ Bakura asked, wondering if Yami had actually managed to keep a straight face in front of him or not.

_#Um…well, I think he is wondering why I was hugging him for such a long time. I had to hide my face behind him so he couldn't see me…_#

_#Right…are you still in the toilets?#_

_#Err… Why…?#_

_#I dunno. I just wanted to know. I mean, you've already spent enough time in there as it is, and if you stay in there any longer you may start to raise my suspicions again…#_

_#Shut up. Hurry up and find us._# Bakura rounded a corner and stopped, looking around to see if he recognised where he was.

And then he saw him. Ryou was standing on the other side of the room, gazing at him; he did not make any attempt to try and walk away; he just stood there, head slightly lowered, as if in guilt. Bakura gawked at him, relieved that he finally knew where he was.

_#Ryou…#_ He walked toward him, uncertain of whether Ryou wanted to be near him or not. He didn't know why Ryou wouldn't want to be near him; after all, as far as he knew Ryou had done nothing wrong, and nor had he. But still, he couldn't help but feel that Ryou was a little apprehensive in the way that he stood, not quite making eye contact with him as Bakura eventually reached him.

_#Did you find him?#_ Yami asked, confused by Bakura's sudden silence.

_#Yes…let me talk to him for a moment. Alone, preferably.#_

_#Fine by me.#_ Bakura felt Yami's presence leave him. He wondered if Yami knew what had happened between Ryou and Yugi earlier on; but if he did know, he certainly hadn't said anything about it.

"Ryou…? Are you okay?" Ryou shook his head, a tear running down his face. Bakura felt his heart break at the sight of his hikari crying; he loved him too much to let any harm come to him. "Come here…" He said gently, gathering Ryou up in his arms. Ryou made no response to this gesture of love, though; he just let himself hang limply in Bakura's embrace.

"I'm sorry…" Ryou whispered. Bakura looked at him in surprise.

"Sorry for what?"

"For what I did…" This only made Bakura even more confused, and worried about what Ryou could possibly mean.

"What did you do?" Bakura wasn't really sure if he wanted to know what he did, though; he asked more out of curiosity then anything else.

"I kissed Yugi." Bakura's mind froze. He didn't…he couldn't…have just said that. His arms fell down to his sides; he was heart-broken.

"W-why?" He eventually managed to ask.

"Why should it matter to you?" Ryou said quietly. "You don't love me. You never did." He looked up at Bakura's wounded eyes, with all the confidence he could muster. "And now Yugi's mad at me for what I've done, Yami's going to hate me for it, and so are you! Nobody loves me!" Ryou's voice had now grown hysterical, and Bakura was having trouble trying to tell Ryou to be quieter.

"Ryou! Please, not so loud!"

"AND NOW EVERYBODY HATES ME!" He screamed, before turning on his heel and running out of the exhibition.

_#Whoa! Was that Ryou I heard screaming?#_ Yami's voice once again filled Bakura's head; he could feel the buzz of his emotions as he started talking to him. Yami obviously must have been somewhere close by if he had heard Ryou, and Bakura became uncomfortably aware of all the people that were now staring at him.

_#Yes. I'm going after him.#_

_#Wait, he's coming our way! I'll see if I can get him.#_

_#Thanks…#_ Bakura walked in the direction Ryou had run in a daze. He wasn't quite sure how he felt anymore…all he knew was that his chances of proving his love to Ryou were all but gone now, and that he had failed everyone. It was strange though; he did not feel angry with Ryou, but he wasn't sure if he could ever forgive him for it.

_#Bakura! Hurry up, before we lose him!#_ Yami's voice sounded desperate. Bakura strained his eyes in front of him, and just managed to see through the bobbing heads of people around him Yami's spiky red and black hair moving around a corner. Bakura picked up his pace and quickly ran around the corner after him.

"LET GO OF ME!" Ryou's yelling reached Bakura's ears just as Yami came into view; it appeared that Yami had managed to grab Ryou around the chest, and was holding him as best as he could without hurting him.

"Yami!" Yami and Yugi turned their heads to see Bakura running towards them, looking flustered. He slowed down as he reached them, and walked around Yami so that he was facing Ryou. Ryou's face was stained with tears, his eyes swollen and red. "Ryou…please don't do this to me. I love you so much…" Ryou continued to struggle in Yami's arms, as if he hadn't heard what Bakura said. "Ryou! Please listen to me!" Ryou was still not responding to him. Bakura felt his own tears stinging his eyes as he watched his Aibou fall to pieces in front of him, his struggling growing weaker and weaker by the second. In a last desperate attempt to get Ryou to calm down, Bakura placed his hands on either side of his head and pressed his forehead against Ryou's, and took them into his soul room…

* * *

"Ryou! Ryou!" Ryou heard someone shouting his name from somewhere far off, but he didn't care. He just wanted Yami to let go of him…he wanted to run away from him, from everyone and everything.

"Let me go…" Ryou heard himself cough out, knowing that his weak attempts of escape were failing. "Please…let me go…" Ryou felt the strong arms around his chest loosen, and catching him unawares, caused him to fall hard onto the cold, stone floor. He lay there in the position he fell, to weak to try and move anymore.

Bakura stared pitifully down at Ryou's shaking form, but in that moment of complete and utter hopelessness Ryou seemed to be more beautiful than he had ever been before.

"Ryou…" Ryou made no response; he just continued to cry into the floor. Bakura knelt down next to him and touched his shoulder, but Ryou just recoiled and pushed himself up against one of the walls. He opened his eyes and seemed shocked to find himself in his soul room; he thought he was still in the museum.

"W-why am I here?" Ryou cried, his voice breaking.

"Because you need to calm down…you're getting hysterical."

"But you hate me!" He wailed, covering his face with his hands. Bakura sighed, crawling over to him on his hands and knees.

"No, I don't…I love you." He stopped when he reached Ryou, wrapped his arms around him and pulled him onto his lap. "Sshh…" He whispered, kissing the top of his head. Ryou gripped onto Bakura's shirt. They stayed like this for a while, Bakura cradling Ryou in his arms like a child.

"I'm sorry…please forgive me…" Ryou whispered eventually. He had calmed down considerably, and was resting his face in Bakura's warm chest.

"Don't worry about it…I can understand why you did it." Ryou lifted his head up and looked into Bakura's eyes, confused by what he had said.

"How can you understand? I've just betrayed your love, and you're acting like you don't even care…"

"I understand you because I didn't love you properly. Yami had to show me what I was doing wrong…so it was my fault that you did what you did, not yours." Ryou simply nodded his head, not really wanting to speak anymore. He was too tired to argue with him. "Come on…let's get out of here."

* * *

Ryou opened his eyes to find that once again he was in the museum, and Yami's arms were still holding him tightly around his chest. He winced slightly, thinking that Yami was holding more tightly than was necessary.

"You can let go of him, Yami…" Bakura said quietly, his forehead still pressed against Ryou's. Yami obliged, and watched as Ryou fell into Bakura's arms and wrapped his arms around his waist.

_#Hold me…#_ Ryou whispered. Bakura slid his arms around him, holding him tightly to his chest.

_#Ryou, I'll never let you go…#_ Bakura answered back.

They held each other for ages, not wanting to let the other go. However, eventually they had to stop because Yami and Yugi wanted to get going.

"Come on, otherwise we'll never be able to see the rest of the museum!" Yugi exclaimed. Obviously Yugi could still not walk properly, so once again Yami picked him up in his arms, before slowly walking in the direction that they came from.

Before Bakura could walk anywhere, however, Ryou had slipped his hand into his, and was holding it tightly. He evidently didn't want to let Bakura go.

_#Stay with me…#_ Ryou asked, looking pleadingly into Bakura's eyes. Bakura smiled, and squeezed Ryou's hand a little.

_#Okay. I'll stay with you.#_ And at last Ryou smiled. #_Please don't stop smiling, Ryou…you look so beautiful when you do.#_

_#Anything for you, 'Kura…#_ Ryou leant his head on Bakura's shoulder, sighing happily.

_#Aw, you two look so sweet together!#_ Yami's voice filled Bakura's head again, as he made this strange comment.

_#Err…#_

_#Ha ha! Don't worry about it.#_

_#Why are you carrying Yugi?#_ Bakura suddenly asked Yami. He didn't want to sound too rude, but there had to be some reason for it.

_Err…#_ Bakura noticed that Yami turned slightly pink as he said this, a small guilty smile appearing on his face.

_#Oh Ra…you didn't, did you?#_

_#Um…yes. In his soul room.#_

_#Oh, so that's why you're carrying him! I suppose you took him, then?#_ Yami started as Bakura said this, nearly dropping Yugi flat on his arse.

_#BAKURA! Shut up! That's got nothing to do with you!#_

_#Oh, lookey! The Pharaoh's getting all stress-sy…#_ Bakura sang. He heard Yami growl as he said this, so he decided it would be better for him not to say anymore for fear of getting his head bitten off.

He looked at Yami's hands, and only then did he notice the creamy-white bandages that were neatly wrapped up around his hands and wrists. _#What happened to you?#_

_#Hmm?#_ Yami sounded distracted; he was probably talking to Yugi as well as him.

_#What happened to your hands? They're bandaged.#_ Bakura stated, just to make it clear what he meant.

_#Oh…it's nothing to worry about.#_ Yami said quickly. This was obviously something that Yami didn't want to talk about, but still, Bakura wanted to know what it was.

#Yes, it is something to worry about. You're hurt.# 

_#Urgh…it's kinda hard to explain. I'll tell you later.#_

_#Fine.#_

They carried on walking through the corridors, guided by Yugi. After about five minutes they were back to where Yami and Bakura had first started, near the entrance of the Egyptian exhibit.

"Oh, look over there, Yami! I think there's something about you on that sign…" Yugi said, pointing behind him to somewhere on the other side of the room. They walked over in that direction, eventually find the thing that Yugi had been pointing at. "Let me down…" Yugi asked, before slipping out from Yami's grasp and standing on the floor. He took a few tentative steps towards the cabinet, before peering at the little card behind the glass and reading the small writing, which was printed on it. "'These canopic jars belonged to one of the most powerful Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom, Atem of the Amenhotep Dynasty-"

"Wasn't Amenhotep really evil…?" Ryou wondered out loud, who was closely studying the canopic jar of the Falcon-headed Qebehsenuef, which had once held Yami's lower intestines.

"No, that was Akhenaten…" Yami replied, only half focusing on his question.

"Wasn't he after your time, Yami?" Yugi asked him.

"Yeah, probably. I can't remember much." Yami shrugged.

"Well how could you remember it if it was after you?" Bakura said sceptically, flicking a bit of hair over his shoulder. Yami stared at him weirdly, but Bakura seemed to take no notice of Yami's questioning look.

"I dunno. It just suddenly came to me. I am a man of much knowledge." He said jokingly, earning an elbow in the side from Yugi.

"Be sensible, Yami." Yugi said, before once again reading off the little card in the display. "'Atem of the Amenhotep Dynasty. Although the actual mummy of this Pharaoh was never found, the canopic jars still remain. Many feel that the Pharaoh was in some way connected with Domino, though they are not sure why.' Oh wow, that's so hard to guess, isn't it?" Yugi said sarcastically, laughing at the naivety of the person who had written the sign. "I mean, it's not every town in the modern world that you get a real ancient Egyptian Pharaoh wandering around in it, is there?" Yugi turned to look at Yami, but was surprised to see that he looked rather upset. "Yami…" Yugi draped his arms around Yami's neck and kissed him, gently stroking the back of his head. _#Sorry…#_

_#It doesn't matter.#_ Yami ran one of his fingers down the back of Yugi's neck, causing him to shudder slightly. #_Yugi…thank you for being there for me.#_

_#I will always be here for you, Yami.#_ Yami deepened their kiss, snaking his arms around Yugi's waist and pulling him closer to him.

_#Err, EARTH TO YAMI! I don't want to be a nuisance or anything, but this is a PUBLIC place, you know, with other PEOPLE. You're not in your own little world of two!#_ Bakura's voice pierced into Yami's mind, like a wasp stinging you without knowing it was there.

_#Shut up, leave us be! Let us kiss.#_ Yami replied in an annoyed tone, and to show that he meant it he once again ran his finger down Yugi's neck, causing him to make a small moan of pleasure.

_#Yami, I'm being serious! Stop it! You can kiss and fuck Yugi as much as you want when you get home, just don't do it here! Ra, you have obviously not yet learnt the art of subtlety…#_ Bakura snapped back. Yami hesitated, considering ignoring Bakura's advice, but eventually decided that it was probably for the best.

_#Yugi…we should stop.#_ Yami pulled gently back from Yugi, who was looking happy and contented.

_#Aww, do we have to? I was enjoying it…#_ Yami smiled at Yugi's innocence, hugging him tightly.

_#Yes, I'm afraid so.#_

_#Can we…?#_

_#We can continue when we get home, Yugi.#_

_#'Kay…#_ They kissed one last time before Yugi turned back to the display, reading the rest of the sign for himself.

Ryou walked tentatively up to Yugi, who looked up just as he approached. Ryou froze, uncertainty in his eyes.

"Um, we'll just be- over there." Yami said, seeing that they needed some time alone together. He grabbed Bakura by the arm and dragged him off across the room, hiding behind a huge display cabinet full of artefacts.

"Err… and why will we be 'just over there?'" Bakura asked, snatching his arm free from Yami's grip.

"Because…" Yami said, peering around the glass cabinet and nodding towards Yugi and Ryou. "Ryou needs to apologise to Yugi. Well, at least I think he wants to anyway. And us two standing there gawking at them won't exactly help him with what he wants to do." Bakura sighed, knowing that Yami was probably right; but there was still one thing troubling his mind…

"Why didn't you tell me what Ryou did?" Yami stiffened, but didn't look round to face Bakura.

"I didn't tell you because it wouldn't have been right for me to. If Ryou wanted to tell you, he would. It's not up to others to do it for him." Yami stated simply, still gazing at Yugi and Ryou.

"I suppose so…" Bakura walked up behind him and looked to where they were standing. Ryou's head was hanging down, and Yugi appeared to be consoling him. "Wonder what they're saying…"

"Yeah…" Yami sounded distant. He stared at them for a few more seconds before turning to Bakura, smiling. "Come on, we shouldn't be watching them." Yami walked a little way off in the other direction to look at some more canopic jars, so Bakura, having nothing better to do, followed him over.

* * *

"Yugi…?" Ryou asked nervously, after Bakura and Yami had walked away. Yugi smiled, taking a step towards him.

"You don't have to worry about it, Ryou. Just forget that it ever happened." Yugi said reassuringly. Instead of looking happier, though, Ryou just hung his head, his face the picture of depression. "Unless you don't want to, that is." Yugi added quickly, not really thinking about whether it would help or not.

"I'm sorry I did it Yugi, I was just-"

"Confused?" Yugi finished. Ryou looked up at him, smiling weakly.

"Yes…" he sighed. Yugi smiled back at him, before walking right up to him and embracing him, leaning his head against Ryou's soft white hair. He felt Ryou slide his arms round his waist, and so Yugi tightened his grip on him. One of his hands fell to idly stroking Ryou's hair, picking it up and letting it fall back into place.

"You're lucky, Ryou." Yugi said after a while. Ryou laughed a little at the obscurity of the comment, but none the less asked Yugi what he meant by it.

"Why?"

"Because…your hair. It's so soft! I wish mine could be like yours." Ryou laughed again, made happy by Yugi's compliment. "So do me a favour…" Yugi lifted his head away from Ryou's hair and looked seriously into his eyes. "Don't ever change." He looked round to where Bakura and Yami went to see if they were watching, but they were nowhere to be seen. "Come on…let's see if we can find the Yamis."

Yugi started to walk off in the direction they went in, but soon had to stop again as the pain once again started to flood his body. Ryou walked up to him, and placed a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Why can't you walk?" Yugi looked up to him, biting his lip. He blushed a little, not really wanting to say what it was that was wrong.

_#It was something that he and Yami did in his soul room…#_ Ryou jumped as Bakura's voice filled his head, and looked around to find Yami and Bakura looking at them, smiling. Obviously Yami had no idea what Bakura had just said, because he did not make any move to try and make him shut up.

_#Ooh! How…?#_

_#He told me.#_ Bakura said quickly, shooting a worried glance in Yami's direction. Ryou rolled his eyes, before looking back to Yugi, who was staring at him weirdly.

"You know what it is, don't you?" Yugi asked. He didn't look worried so much as confused.

"Yes…"

"So how did Bakura know what it was, then? Yami never told him." Ryou looked at him, puzzled.

"He told me Yami did tell him." Yugi shook his head.

"No, he didn't. He didn't say anything like that-" Yugi froze, a look of realisation appearing on his face. "They can communicate…"

"What do you mean, communicate?" Ryou looked even more confused then he did before.

"Well, when me and Yami where in the toilets, he just suddenly hugged me. For ages."

"Err…and?" He still looked totally nonplussed.

"Well, Yami didn't explain why he did it, but I could tell that he was laughing at something. And plus…" He paused for a moment, before continuing. "He said something about…showing Bakura something that he had forgotten. Which didn't make any sense to me."

"What do you mean, forgotten?"

"Well, I was explaining to Yami- you know…what- happened." Ryou nodded, showing that he understood, so Yugi continued with what he was saying. "And he said 'maybe he didn't…but he does now.'"

"Didn't what?"

"Love you properly. And there's no way Yami could just know that. Bakura wouldn't say something like that straight to his face…"

"I have to admit, they do seem to be getting along a lot better then they were this morning…" Ryou said thoughtfully.

"Exactly, which is why I think they can communicate…but why haven't they said anything about it to us?"

"Maybe they thought we would be angry with them for it or something…" They looked up to where Yami and Bakura were standing, who were now looking at another of the cabinets. "Come on, let's go find out…"

* * *

_#You know Yami, we really should Yugi and Ryou about our ability to communicate like this…#_ Bakura turned around so that he was facing Yugi and Ryou, leaning on the cabinet. He closed his eyes, sighing.

_#Yeah, I suppose we should.#_

Neither of them saw Yugi and Ryou walking towards them, so of course they let their guard down, never suspecting them to hear what was going to be said.

"Yeah, well it's all very well saying that we're going to tell them Yami, but it's quite another thing…" He stopped in mid-sentence. Yami looked up at him, confused.

"Yes?" Yami could not see that Ryou and Yugi were close to them, so he continued to talk. "Why have you stopped?"

_#Hikaris at Twelve O'clock.#_ Bakura said quickly.

"Huh?" Yami turned his head to find Yugi and Ryou staring at them, questioning looks on their faces. _#Oops…#_

"Yeah, you're telling me…" Bakura had given up on trying to keep their secret from them; he knew that they had already figured out for themselves anyway.

"Why didn't you say anything about this to us?" Yugi asked. Yami looked guiltily at him, his head lowered.

"Because we didn't know how you would react to it." Bakura said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Ryou smiled, shaking his head.

"You should know by now that you don't have to hide anything from us, not only because you can trust us but because we will probably end up finding out about it anyway." He walked up to Bakura, and hugged him. "You two should think yourselves lucky. It's not exactly a common ability, is it?"

"I suppose not…" But Bakura still looked unconvinced. "Are you mad at us?" Ryou looked up at him, surprised.

"No. Should we be?"

"Err…"

"Oh, you're so pathetic, you know that?" Ryou said, laughing. "I'm happy about it. Hopefully this means you two have stopped arguing with each other?" He raised an eyebrow at them, making them wince slightly.

"Yes…" Yami said timidly, a guilty smile spreading across his face.

"Well, stop looking so worried, then! God, you're not exactly going to die, are you? Well, you're already dead, but that's not the point." Yugi said jokingly, hugging Yami. Yami returned the embrace, sighing gently.

_#I'm surprised they took it so well…# _Yami said to Bakura.

_#Hmm…#_ Bakura still had his arms around Ryou, his eyes closed.

"Wow…I just heard what you said…I think." Yugi said faintly. They all looked at him, confused. "You said, 'I'm surprised they took it so well'."

"That's probably because you were close to each other when he said it…" Ryou said, suddenly looking thoughtful.

"Yeah, but I didn't hear anything he said to him before when Yami was carrying me…"

"That's probably because you didn't know about it then." Bakura suggested.

"Hmm…"

"Urgh, can we just not talk about this anymore?" Yami asked; he looked pretty tired.

"Yeah. Let's look at some of those other canopic jars…" Bakura said before walking with Ryou over to specified display case.

"Come on, Yugi…" Yami said, supporting him as they walked after them.

"Look here…" Ryou said, just as they reached him. "Apparently this jar used to hold your brain, Yami…" He pointed to a jar with a Baboon- head lid. "The Baboon's name is Hapy." He added, as if he felt it had to be said.

"Oh great, how depressing…" Yami said, gazing unhappily at the jar.

"Yeah, well, it didn't hold it for long…" Bakura said, before coughing and looking away, as if he hadn't said anything.

"What do you mean?" Yami snapped back, looking at him suspiciously.

"Um…I kinda- soldyourbrainontheblackmarket." He said quickly, looking guiltily at the floor. He looked up and saw the incredulous look he was getting from Yami, before saying, "What! I had to get money somehow! You have no idea how hard life was for us Tomb Robbers!"

"No, all I know was that you took too much effort to control." Yami looked serious for a moment, before a look of amazement spread across his face. "I don't have a brain…" He shook his head, smiling with wonder. "I haven't got a brain…"

"Yes, we knew that already." Yugi said, giggling. Yami turned to him, looking upset.

"But I don't have a brain…" He said sadly, looking utterly pathetic. Yugi burst out laughing, leaning heavily on Yami's arm.

"Wow…wouldn't it be so weird if you could just stick your hands in a jar and pick up your brain whenever you wanted…" Ryou said, still gazing at the canopic jar.

"Yeah, I suppose it would be…if I still had a brain." Yami muttered, looking darkly at it.

"Well, I suppose this means you shouldn't be known as the Nameless Pharaoh then, but the Brainless Pharaoh…" Bakura said, grinning.

"Now THAT is just going TOO far!" Yami cried, clenching his fists as best he could without them hurting too badly. Several people around them turned to look at them, throwing them disapproving looks before moving on.

"Yami, keep it down!" Yugi said, grabbing his arm to stop him trying to smash something up.

"Yugi let go of me!" Yami growled, shaking his arm to try and make Yugi release his grip, but it was to no avail. This just angered him even more, the Puzzle hanging from his neck glowing brightly, a golden eye appearing on his forehead.

"Yami, don't!" Yugi cried desperately, his Sennen Puzzle now glowing in an attempt to counteract Yami's magic. #_Something's not right! Why is he reacting so badly?#_ Yugi thought to himself. #_He promised me that he would never go against my wishes, but he is! What's wrong with him!#_ Yugi mustered all the power he could before sending a blast of energy towards Yami, hoping it would be enough to catch him off balance.

Yami stumbled backwards, clutching his hand to his head. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily; he looked lost, and confused.

"What- what happened? What did I do?" His eyes were scanning around the room wildly, desperately crying out for help.

"Come on, let's get out of here…" Bakura muttered, before slipping his arms under Yami's and supporting him out of the museum, going quickly so they wouldn't have to bear the brunt of countless eyes staring at them any longer.

"Yugi?" Yugi was breathing heavily; it had taken a lot of energy to stop Yami using his magic, and now he was physically shaking from the effort. He looked up to Ryou's face, his eyes half closed.

"Ryou…" He managed to whisper, before collapsing forwards, unable to stand anymore. Ryou managed to catch him before he could reach the floor; it had drained much more energy from Yugi than he thought it would.

Ryou lifted Yugi up with relative ease; he was quite a lightweight for his age. Yugi's head fell limply against Ryou's chest, his breathing falling to more regular pattern as he lost consciousness.

_#Strange…why has Yugi lost so much energy? It shouldn't have taken up that much of his magic just to send Yami to the ground, surely?#_ Ryou thought to himself, as he swiftly proceeded out of the museum. _#But then again, Yami's magic is very powerful…maybe it would have taken that much effort…#_ Ryou continued to ponder on this until he was standing outside the museum, the hot sun once again beating down on his back.

Ryou squinted his eyes against the sun's glare, and spotted Yami and Bakura sitting on one of the steps a little way down from him. He walked slowly towards them, only stopping when he standing on the step above them.

"Yami?" He said quietly, tightening his grip on Yugi a little. Yami and Bakura turned around, staring at the unconscious Yugi lying in his arms.

"Yugi…" Yami said, his voice breaking. "What have I done to him…" He shook his head, a tear running down his face. "I'm sorry, Yugi…I've done this to you again." Bakura and Ryou looked at him, confused. What did he mean, again?

Yami looked at them, and seeing their puzzled looks proceeded to unwrap the bandage around one of his hands, bit by bit showing the scabs and wounds that he had inflicted upon himself. When the bandage eventually fell off his hand, they both gasped; how had this happened to him?

"I did it to myself." Yami said, in answer to their silent question.

"But…why?" Bakura asked, aghast by what he was seeing.

"Because I hurt Yugi. I lost control of myself…I don't know why." He let a tear run down his face, before it fell onto his hand. He ran his thumb over the scars, as if he was trying to smother them, so he wouldn't have to be constantly reminded of what he had done. He clenched his hand into a fist, so hard that his knuckles started to turn white. His eyes darkened, staring angrily at scabs; why couldn't he control himself? "I don't even deserve these scars…I can't believe that Yugi has forgiven me for what I did. I was a fool to even think that he would want it…" Ryou and Bakura just stared at him, unsure of how to react to this sudden change in Yami's behaviour.

"You- you haven't ever done this- before, have you?" Bakura asked timidly, who was now looking completely scared. #_Fear…so this is what he meant…fear for your friends.#_ He thought to himself. But even as this passed through his mind, he could do nothing but look helplessly on as Yami continued to put himself down.

"No…I can't-" Yami stopped, still scowling at his hand. "I don't think…I can love Yugi anymore."

"Don't be a bloody idiot!" Ryou shouted, catching Bakura and Yami by surprise. He was looking furiously at Yami, tears streaming down his face. "Don't be- such a Fucking, Stupid, IDIOT!" He was practically screaming now, his mind was in turmoil. He fell to his knees on the step and held Yugi close to him, clamping his eyes tight shut. "How can you not love him?" He whispered, opening his eyes again to look at Yami's guilt-ridden face. "How?" And, then even quieter, he said, "You would have to be inhumane to not love him…and I'm no exception." Yami and Bakura stared at him, not quite sure what to make of Ryou's sudden outburst and declaration of love for Yugi.

"But…" Bakura whispered, tears stinging his eyes. Ryou looked up at him, love written all over his face.

"I'm sorry, Bakura…I do love you, really I do. But…" He sighed, now staring at Yugi's blank face. "I don't know. But what do you think Yugi would say if he heard us arguing over him like this? I think it would be enough to make him hate us."

"But I don't hate you…" Yugi opened his eyes and looked faintly up at Ryou, his face still expressionless. "You're doing this to yourselves. You're making assumptions; assuming that I would be angry with Yami, angry with all of you. I do exist, you know. None of you can tell me what I should think." Yugi smiled, before looking over to Yami, who was still crying. Yugi held out his hand to him, begging with his eyes for him hold him. Yami looked at him, uncertainty in his eyes; but Yugi just smiled at him, holding out his hand. Yami walked slowly over, kneeling down in front of him and taking his hand with his un-bandaged one, so that Yugi could feel the hardness of the scabs on his skin. Yugi squeezed his hand gently, a tear rolling down his cheek.

_#Yami…I love you so much. And I know you love me too. You're just afraid that whatever action you take will end up hurting me. But I've told you already I don't care, and I forgave you for what you did to me. So please, stop crying…it hurts me more to see you upset than anything you could ever do to hurt me.#_ Yami raised Yugi's hand to his mouth and kissed the back of his hand, his tears splashing onto his skin. Yugi closed his eyes again, before looking back up at Ryou. Yugi sat up a little in his lap, before pressing his forehead against his. #_Thank you, Ryou…#_ Ryou looked at him, startled; Yugi had spoken in his mind, and he had heard it. He watched as Yugi leant forward and kissed his cheek, before Yami helped him stand up and held him in his arms.

"Ryou…?" Bakura was now standing up in front of him, and for the first time ever he just looked as though he really needed a hug. Ryou stood up and held him in a tight embrace, exhausted by the day's activities.

"Come on…let's go home." Yami said, picking Yugi up and once again carrying him down the steps.

"Hey…why don't you come round our's for a bit? It's not late yet, and it will give us a chance to…you know, talk things through a bit." Yami stopped and turned round on the bottom step, thinking about what he should do.

"Let's go round their's…they're right, we need to talk things out." Yugi said, although he hardly looked awake enough to do any kind of talking.

"So…you'll come?" Ryou asked, walking down so that he was on the same step as Yami.

"Yeah…okay." Yami said, at last smiling.

"Come on, then." Bakura came up behind Ryou and took his hand, before going down the final step and walking off up the street, Yami following close behind.

(Sorry if you're getting really bored with this, but I had to do this cos the next bit is quite important.)

* * *

Yami stepped in through Ryou and Bakura's front door, the fresh coolness of their home immediately relieving him of the almost unbearable heat of the afternoon sun outside.

Ryou took his shoes off and placed them on a mat by the door, before taking Yugi from Yami's arms and holding him while Yami took his own shoes off.

"Should we wake him?" Yami asked, not really sure that he wanted to be alone with them without Yugi.

"No, I'll put him upstairs where he can sleep for a while. Unless you'd rather not?" Ryou said, perfectly politely. Yami blushed slightly, before nodding his head.

"Yeah…thanks." He added quickly, glancing at Bakura. Bakura smiled at him, before turning to Ryou and squeezing his shoulder.

"Go on, then." Ryou bowed his head a little, before turning and heading up the stairs and disappearing around a corner.

"Now then…" Bakura said as he walked towards the kitchen, beckoning Yami to follow him. "While they're upstairs we can have fun deciding what we're going to have for dinner."

"I should really call Yugi's Grandpa to say we're not going to be home for a while…" Yami said, stopping in the doorframe of the kitchen.

"The phone's on the table there." Bakura said, pointing to the table in the middle of the room. Yami walked over to it, before picking it up and dialling his home number. He pressed it to his ear and listened to it ring, click and then heard Grandpa's voice vibrate in his ear.

"Hello, Game Shop."

"Hi, it's Yami."

"Oh, hello Yami! Something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to tell you that Yugi and I are staying round a friend's house for dinner, if that's alright with you…"

"Of course it's alright Yami! I can trust you to look after Yugi for me. You are old enough now to not have to ask me, just so long as I know."

"Thank you."

"That's quite alright. I won't see you though, because I'll be up and out early tomorrow morning, so I won't see you until tomorrow evening."

"Oh right, okay. Well, I guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow, then."

"Yes. Goodbye!"

"Bye." Yami waited for the phone to click again before putting it back into its holder on the table.

"Everything okay with Yugi's Grandpa?" Bakura asked, who was busy at the freezer, rummaging through it to trying to find something for them to have.

"Yeah…" Bakura moved to look round at Yami, but instead a loud crunch was heard as he banged his head on the top of the freezer, followed by a long and rather disturbing string of curses.

"SHIT! Oh, fuck these stupid contraptions! I never understood why they had to be in a position where you could hit your bloody head on them every time you wanted to stand up…" Yami laughed as Bakura gave him a frenzied look, who slammed the freezer door shut with his foot. "Don't you think so, Yami?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Yami grinned as Bakura ran his fingers through his hair, banging the box he took out of the freezer on the worktop to shake off the ice that had settled on it. He then held it up in front of him and waved it around a bit, before showing it to Yami.

"Think this is alright?" The box he was holding had printed on it in big bold writing 'Walls Balls!', and had a huge picture of a big, golden-coloured ball shaped thing slap-bang in the middle of it. (By the way, I'm not sure if that's what they actually look like. I'm just assuming it is. :))

"Err…any particular reason why you've chosen 'Walls Balls' for dinner?" Yami asked, raising an eyebrow; it painfully reminded him of the 'Camel's balls' incident they had earlier on that day.

Bakura turned the box around in his hand and stared at it for a moment, before a look of enlightenment slowly appeared on his face.

"You know…" Bakura said, a sly look now covering his face. "We could always pretend that these are Camel's balls…"

"And what's the likeliness that they're going to believe that?" Yami said sceptically, but none-the-less was still ginning.

"Well, you never know…after all, we are their Yamis and they're supposed to believe what we say."

"Huh, you don't know Yugi then…"

"Yeah well, I bet you know him all over…"

"Hey!" Yami blushed furiously as Bakura laughed, banging his head with the Walls Balls box.

"Oh Ra Yami, you're so easy to embarrass!" Yami growled slightly in an attempt to make himself more of a threat, but the huge grin on his face was not exactly helping his cause. Bakura burst into a fresh set of hysterics, falling against Yami and hanging his arms around his neck to stop himself from falling over.

"Bakura…" Yami said, sighing. However, Bakura continued to giggle his head off, so Yami slid his arms around his waist until Bakura had stopped laughing.

Bakura leaned his head over Yami's shoulder and sighed, his hair brushing past Yami's cheek. Yami was surprised to find that it was very soft; almost like silk. Yami couldn't help but raise a hand to touch the feather-soft hair, gently running his fingers through it and pressing his cheek closer to Bakura's head.

_#Bakura…#_ Yami said, still running his fingers through Bakura's hair.

_#Hmm…?#_ Yami heard Bakura drop the box onto the table behind him, before pressing himself closer to Yami. This made him feel slightly uncomfortable, shifting his weight slightly under Bakura's body. #_Something wrong, Yami?#_ Bakura's voice was barely more than a whisper, but Yami heard it loud and clear in his mind.

_#No. Nothing's wrong. It's just…#_ Yami felt an urgent need to discuss with Bakura what they should do if their hikaris did ever end up falling in love with each other, and he wasn't willing to let Yugi go so easily as somebody else may have done. He felt Bakura moving even closer to him, and despite his ever-growing feeling of discomfort he still held tightly onto Bakura's body. #_Bakura…I just don't know if…#_ He sighed; he was having trouble trying to form the words in his head. #_What would we do if our hikaris…you know- ever fall in- in love? I don't know if I can live without Yugi…in fact I know I can't.#_ Yami heard Bakura sigh before raising his head so that it was in front of Yami's, so close that their noses were practically touching.

_#I don't think we can do anything about it, Yami. We're just going to have to bear with it. At least…for now.#_ Bakura leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Yami's, his warm breath tickling Yami's face.

_#For now?#_ Yami said questioningly. Bakura smiled, and in answer to his question he moved his face closer to Yami's and kissed his cheek, before embracing him tightly.

Yami stared at the mass of white hair on Bakura's head, not yet quite realising what he had just done. He cared about Bakura, sure; but he didn't know if he loved him that much. He moved his arms so that they were further up Bakura's body, resting his head against Bakura's. Yami started to run his fingers through his hair again, his mind not really thinking properly anymore. He wanted Yugi to be his alone, but…what was Bakura doing? Didn't he want the same with Ryou? Or was he just happy to let Ryou slip through his fingers into another lover's arms, HIS lover's arms? He now knew how Yugi must have felt like, why Yugi was so confused…he would be heart broken if Yugi left him. But, he also knew that he couldn't control Yugi's life, that Yugi should make his own choices in both life and in love. He just hoped that Yugi would choose him…

Yami lifted his head up and sighed. Bakura looked up at him in concern, wondering if Yami felt hurt by what he had done. He wasn't sure why he had kissed him; it just seemed to be the right thing to do at the time. Yami just smiled though, nuzzling his cheek before letting go of him and walking over to the sink.

"We really should get on with the dinner you know." Yami said, revealing a grin as he turned around to face Bakura.

"Yeah...okay then." And, picking up the Walls Balls, he walked to the sink to join Yami with the cooking.

* * *

Ryou walked in through his bedroom door and put Yugi gently down on his bed, pulling the duvet up and covering him with it. Yugi made a little noise before drawing it tighter around his body, burying his face in the pillow. Ryou sighed and knelt down next to him on the floor, raising up a hand to stroke Yugi's face. He looked so peaceful, like a sleeping angel.

"Ryou…" Yugi opened his eyes and smiled, stretching his arm out and cupping his face. He ran his thumb down his cheek, before slipping his arms under Ryou's and pulling him into the bed with him. "Sleep with me. Please?" Ryou smiled, getting under the covers and drawing Yugi closer to him, wrapping his arms around him. #_Thank you…# _Yugi murmured, kissing Ryou gently on the lips. Ryou gasped slightly, pulling back from Yugi.

"Yugi…" Ryou looked at him uncertainly, not sure if he wanted to continue.

"Hey, relax." Yugi smiled sweetly at him, cuddling up to his chest and pressing his forehead against Ryou's. "In what way do you love me?" Yugi asked, bringing himself closer still to Ryou's body.

"I don't know…I just know that I do." He sighed, closing his eyes and tightening his grip on Yugi. "I'm so confused…I don't know who I love. Why is it that you can't love more than one person at the same time? Everyone makes it out as if it's wrong; but surely it can't be? I just don't understand anything anymore." Yugi looked at him sadly, leaning forward and kissing him again, much more deeply than he did before.

"I know…its stupid, isn't it? I really love Yami, and I hope he knows that; but…I love you too." He sighed, playing with a bit of Ryou's hair. "Wouldn't it be great if…" He stopped, not sure if he should continue his sentence.

"If what?" Ryou asked, making a circular motion with his finger on the small of Yugi's back.

"If we could…all be together. If you know what I mean. That way we wouldn't have to worry about loving more than one person, because we would all love each other. But I doubt it will ever happen…" Yugi tailed off, feeling certain that he would end up regretting that he had said it.

"I suppose…it's an idea. But what would Yami and Bakura say? And besides…I don't think I could ever love Yami. Not in that sense, anyway. Could you love Bakura?"

"I don't know…it was just an idea. I don't think it could ever work. Could Yami and Bakura ever love each other?" He giggled as he tried to imagine them holding hands, but it didn't work very well. He just got an image of the two of them trying to whack each other with large, pointy sticks.

"What's so funny?" Ryou asked, confused. Yugi giggled again, relaying the images in Ryou's mind. He laughed too, feeling a little happier now that he had talked things out with Yugi. He was still confused as to how he and Yugi had communicated in their minds; it wasn't like they had some sort of special magical bond. Or did they? He put this question to Yugi, and after a moment he replied,

"I don't know, Ryou. Even I was a little surprised that it happened…I suppose we should just accept it. Or, if you really want to know that badly, you can always ask our Yamis. I'm sure they'll know what it is."

"Yeah, they probably do. Well, I'll ask them later about it; but at the moment I really can't be bothered." Yugi smiled, kissing Ryou's cheek. Ryou blushed slightly, quickly returning the kiss to Yugi's lips.

_#I love you…#_ Yugi whispered.

_#I love you too.#_ Yugi leaned forward took Ryou's bottom lip in his mouth, sucking and biting it gently with his teeth. Yugi pushed Ryou down so that he was now lying on top of him, before he let go of Ryou's lip and pushed his tongue into his mouth, circling and caressing Ryou's tongue. #_Yugi…#_ Ryou moaned softly, shifting a little under Yugi's body.

_#Are you okay?# _Yugi pulled his tongue out of Ryou's mouth, gazing quietly into his eyes. _#You have such beautiful eyes…#_ Ryou blushed again, Yugi now licking the back of his ear.

_#I'm okay…#_ Yugi continued to attack his ear, nibbling and biting at it.

_#Good…I don't want to hurt you.#_

_#What do you mean?#_ Yugi stopped licking Ryou's ear and moved back to his mouth, kissing it gently.

_#I don't know. Depends on what you want it to mean.#_ Yugi stopped kissing him and laid his head down on Ryou's chest, twirling a bit of his hair in between his fingers.

_#I don't think it should go any further than this. At least not yet…#_

"Hmm…" Yugi moved up his body and laid his head down on a pillow next to Ryou, kissing his cheek. #_Yeah, I suppose we should leave it now…let's sleep.# _Yugi pulled the covers up over them once more, and before long they found themselves drifting off, the day's activities finally taking its toll on their minds.

* * *

"I think we're just about done!" Bakura concluded as he placed the last of the Walls Balls onto a plate, before walking over to the sink and dumping the frying pan on the draining board. It had taken them over an hour to cook the dinner, seeing as the first set of Walls Balls they had cooked got completely burnt, so they had to chuck them away.

"Ugh, great. I was beginning to think it would never end…" Yami said wistfully, drinking some water out of a glass tumbler that was sitting on the work-top.

"Yeah well, thank Ra it did." Bakura was now sitting on a stool by the table, drinking out of his own glass and rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "Urgh, my head kills…remind me next time to keep an eye on the cooking instead of just letting it be burnt to a cinder." He let his head fall with a bang onto the table, before letting out a muffled "ow".

Yami walked over to the table and plonked himself onto the stool next to him, Bakura lifting his head up and once again furiously rubbing his forehead.

"Stupid table…it always wants to hurt me." Yami sighed exasperatedly, placing his glass down on the table. He slid his arms around Bakura's waist and pulled him onto his lap, burying his face in his hair.

"Don't be stupid. You're hurting yourself on the table."

"Yeah, but never on purpose…well, unless I want to get attention from Ryou, in which case it works pretty well."

"Huh…you shouldn't be using your Hikari like that."

"I wouldn't say that was using him. More…wanting to be loved by him."

"Uh-huh, of course." Bakura heard the note of disbelief in Yami's voice, so he turned round on his lap so that he was facing Yami instead of his back being towards him.

"Why don't you believe me?" Bakura asked, playing with one of Yami's bangs. Yami sighed, shaking his head.

"It's not that I don't believe you so much as it…being the other way round…"

"Oh. Right. Of course." Bakura looked a little sad, tugging at the golden strand of Yami's hair.

"Oh, don't worry about it Bakura." He stood up, holding Bakura tightly in his arms. "Ryou understands what happened. He's not mad at you, he loves you."

"Yeah, but he also loves Yugi…" He sighed, leaning his forehead against Yami's.

"Well, I don't think even I can help that Bakura."

"I suppose so…"

"Don't worry about it. Let time take its course; I'm sure everything will sort itself out eventually."

"Hmm…" Bakura closed his eyes, still fiddling with Yami's bangs.

Just then Yugi and Ryou walked in through the kitchen door, only to stop dead in their tracks and gape as they saw their Yami's hugging each other tightly.

_#Wow…that's quite unexpected of you two to hug like that.#_ Yugi said to Yami. Yami gasped and whipped his head around, Yugi and Ryou staring at them with no apparent emotion on their faces.

"Uh! Yugi- Ryou!" Bakura lifted up his head and gasped as well, letting his arms fall to his sides as Yami let go of him. Yugi and Ryou turned to each other, and smiled.

"Yami…" Yugi said, turning back to face him. He walked slowly over to him, before taking him in his arms and holding him tightly. Yami just stood still, not sure of what to do.

"Yugi…" Yugi looked up at him and smiled. He didn't appear angry at all, just happy. #_Aren't you going to say anything?#_

"There's nothing to say, Yami." He reached up and kissed him, tightening his grip on him. #_I told you I love you. What else can I say? I'll love you no matter what, just like you said you would.#_

_#Ryou…? Are you…mad?#_ Bakura asked, lowering his head so he didn't have to look in Ryou's eyes.

_#Why should I be?#_ Bakura looked up again to find Ryou was now standing in front of him, smiling sweetly at him. Bakura felt his heart melt as he stared into Ryou's chocolate-brown eyes, his white hair falling attractively around his shoulders. #_You haven't done anything have you?# _Bakura shook his head, before walking forward hugging Ryou tightly.

"Everything's such a mess…" Bakura murmured, stroking the back of Ryou's head with his hand.

"Yes…we should really all just sit down and talk things over. But first, dinner!" Ryou said.

"Yeah…come on. I'm starving!" Yami agreed, kissing Yugi before letting go of him.

"So…what're we having, then?" Ryou asked, casting an interested eye over the plates on the worktop. "I see you managed to cook it all without burning any of it."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Yami said, pouting his lips. Bakura laughed, before pointing to the bin, indicating the burnt Walls Balls.

"Well, we did burn the first lot."

"Yeah, you 'accidentally' set them on fire…" Yami muttered, going over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Well you told me to! You said it would make them cook quicker!" Bakura said hysterically, waving his hands frantically in the air. Yugi and Ryou watched them with raised eyebrows, worried smiles on their faces.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would believe me! I mean, come on, even _I_ know that wouldn't help them cook." Yami dried his hands off on a towel before walking over to where the plates were still sitting on the worktop.

"Huh…" Bakura growled, scowling at him.

"Hey, I thought you two had stopped arguing!" Ryou said, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Uh…we- have." Yami said quickly, turning to look at Bakura. He stopped scowling and blushed, casting his gaze towards the floor.

"Oh, come ON! Are we actually going to eat anything or not!" Yugi said critically.

"Oh- yeah! Come on then. You two go in the living room, we'll be there in a minute." Yami said to Yugi and Ryou. Ryou helped Yugi limp away out of the kitchen, disappearing round the corner of the hall.

"Huh…I still can't believe you two did it…in a museum! Now that is something. Me and Ryou have to try that at some point."

"Uh…" Yami blushed furiously, regretting the fact that he had let Bakura know about it.

"Hey, don't worry! And that reminds me…" Bakura walked up to Yami and took one of his hands in his own, feeling the creamy-white bandage with his fingers; they were still damp form when Yami had washed them. "You still haven't told me what you did to Yugi to make you do this to yourself." Yami clamped his eyes shut, not wanting to remember the event, let alone tell Bakura about it.

_#I don't know if I can say…#_ He sighed, looking distressed.

_#Bad time to bring it up?#_ Bakura asked, still holding Yami's hand. Yami nodded his head, staring sown at the floor.

_#I'll tell you later, after we've had dinner.#_

_#Okay then…#_ Bakura embraced him before walking over to the plates, picking two of them up and turning back round to face Yami. "Can you handle two plates? Or do you want me to take them?"

"No, I'll be alright, thanks." Bakura smiled, walking out of the kitchen to the living room. Yami soon followed, trying his best to hold the plates without dropping them.

"Hey, are you okay with those?" Ryou asked as Yami walked into the living room, quickly jumping up to take the plates form Yami's damaged hands.

"Yeah, thanks." Ryou smiled, placing them down on the table as Yami went to sit next to Yugi on the sofa.

Dinner was a pretty quiet event, a few jokes were cracked but apart from that not much was said between them. It was only when everyone had finished that Yugi once again brought up the subject of Camel's balls.

"So, Yami…did you ever actually eat Camel balls back in Egypt?" Yugi asked, who was sitting on Yami's lap.

"No! Ra, have you seen those things? They're all tough and hairy. Impossible to eat." Yami shook his head, as if to shake the memory from himself.

"You've actually seen Camel balls?" Bakura asked, amused.

"Err…yes." Bakura giggled, Yami's face turning bright red. "What's so funny? You said your…" Yami stopped, a questioning look on his face.

"Huh, you actually believed me when I said that? No no, I've never seen them in my life!"

"Well, lucky you then. When I first saw them, I thought I was going to be mentally scarred for the rest of my life…I think I still am…"

"How come you've seen them then? Don't tell me they used to feed you those things?" Bakura asked, laughing his head off.

"No…I had to eat them once when my parents and I went visiting some other important people somewhere. I had trouble trying to stop myself from getting totally hysterical when they told me what they were…Urgh…the mental image was not good for the brain." Yami shuddered at the memory, Ryou, Bakura and Yugi laughing.

"Oh, I feel so sorry for you!" Ryou giggled, his eyes beginning to water.

"Yeah…well, consider yourselves lucky then. Camel balls…urgh. Not nice."

"Ha ha, I can't believe you actually had to eat them…" Bakura said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Huh. Well, next time I go to Egypt I'll be sure to bring you some back."

"How are you going to do that? I'm not sure they eat them over there anymore…and anyway, its cruelty to animals. You can't just walk up to a camel and chop its balls off, can you? I mean, it would bleed to death!" Yugi said, flicking his bangs out of his eyes.

"Ah, Yugi! You're so innocent…" Yami said, kissing his nose.

"Well, someone has to think about the welfare of others…" Yugi said, blushing.

"Yes, and I'm very proud of you for it…" Yami nuzzled his cheek, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

_#Love you, Yami…#_

_#Love you too, Yugi…#_

"Aw, you two look so cute together!" Bakura said, giggling slightly. Everyone turned to look at him weirdly, questioning looks on their faces. "What! It's true…it's got nothing to do with my personal feelings." #_Damn, I should not have said anything…#_ Bakura said to Ryou, blushing.

"Oh, don't worry about it Bakura. I'm sure they don't mind!" Ryou snuck a sideways glance at Yami, who was staring at him blankly. "Do you, Yami?"

"Uh!" Yami looked scared, glancing at Bakura who was looking equally as frightened.

"Ryou! What are you talking about?" Bakura asked, a worried look on his face.

"Oh, nothing…" Ryou leaned his head on Bakura's shoulder, closing his eyes and sighing. #_I know you like him, really…#_ Ryou smirked as he felt Bakura stiffen, clearly annoyed by Ryou's comment.

_#I do not!#_

_#Oh really? What was all that hugging you were doing in the kitchen, then? Are you telling me that doesn't mean anything?#_

_#Err…it was just- friend stuff! Friends hug! Umm…they do, don't they?#_

_#Hmm…but that seemed a bit more then a 'friend' hug to me. And Yugi agrees with me, too.#_

_#Huh? How? He hasn't said anything, has he?#_

_#He told me.#_

_#What! No he hasn't!#_ Ryou opened his eyes and looked into Bakura's, smiling slyly.

"Yes, he has Bakura. And I want to ask you…how is it that me and Yugi can communicate in our minds?"

"Is that how…?"

"Yes." Yami looked completely confused; no body had bothered to tell him what was going on.

"EXCUSE me, but would anyone care to tell me what's going on here!" Yami said hysterically, looking from each of the three faces that were now staring at him.

"Oh…" Yugi smiled guiltily at him, looking at the two Bakura's asking if it was okay to tell him. Ryou was nodding his head, but Bakura was looking frantically at him, shaking his head in a desperate attempt to stop Yugi from saying anything about what had been said to him. "We were having a discussion- that is me and Ryou- about that hug you two were sharing in the kitchen…"

"Argh! No, don't! Please don't!" Yami cried, burying his face in Yugi's chest. Yugi grinned, running his fingers through Yami's hair.

"Don't worry about it, Yami…" Yugi leant down and kissed his forehead, tickling the back of his ear with his free hand. Yami whimpered slightly, arching his neck back as a surge of pleasure rushed through his body.

_#Yugi…don't…#_ Yugi stopped tickling his ear, Yami's head falling back onto his chest.

_#Yami…you're so easy to pleasure…#_ Yugi continued to run his fingers through Yami's hair, kissing his forehead again.

"Are you two quite done yet?" Bakura asked impatiently, clearly jealous about the fact that they were having fun and he wasn't. Yugi smiled at him, nodding his head. "Well, about you two having this 'link'." Yami lifted his head up to look at him, smiling faintly.

"It's probably because you're connected to us." Yami stated simply. "When me and Bakura gained our link, it must have sparked something off between you two; this may have been the cause of your link, but I can't be certain."

"Hmm…" Ryou said, looking thoughtful.

"I'm sorry I can give you no better explanation. I just don't really know. Don't worry, you'll probably find out what it is." Yami said, looking apologetic. Ryou just smiled though, leaning his head on Bakura's shoulder and closing his eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" Bakura asked him, brushing the hair out of his hikari's eyes.

"Yeah…just tired." Bakura sighed and kissed Ryou's forehead, feeling suddenly fatigued from the day's events.

"I'm tired too…" Yugi said quietly, settling himself in Yami's lap and pushing himself up against his chest. Yami wrapped his arms protectively around Yugi, stroking Yugi's arm gently.

"It's getting late…" Yami said, glancing at the clock.

"It's only eight…stay for a bit." Bakura whispered, running a finger along Ryou's cheek. #_Let's put them up stairs so we can talk without disturbing them.#_

_#But what about Yugi's Grandpa?#_

_#You're not going to see him till tomorrow evening are you? So, you don't have to worry.#_ Bakura smiled as he stood up, signalling for Yami to follow him.

They walked up the stairs, hikaris sleeping in their arms, and walked into Ryou and Bakura's bedroom. There were two beds, but they only ever used one of them for obvious reasons.

Bakura rummaged through one of the drawers, although what he was trying to find was a complete mystery to Yami. Bakura stood up a few moments later holding two pairs of pyjamas, placing them on one of the beds.

_#Why have you got two pairs out?#_ Yami asked curiously; neither of them looked like the kind that Bakura would wear.

_#Because…#_ Bakura picked up one of the pairs and brought it over to where Ryou was sleeping, before undoing and taking off all of Ryou's clothes and carefully putting on the pyjamas. #_Yugi can use them. If you want.#_

_#Oh…but, what about-#_

_#I said they're there if you want Yugi to wear them. I never said he was going to.#_ Bakura turned to look at him, smiling gently. _#It just seemed a bit pointless…#_

_#What did?#_ Yami asked, curious to know.

_#Well…I dunno…you going home, I suppose. You might as well stay here for the night. I mean, Yugi's already asleep, isn't he? And you look just about ready to collapse.#_ Yami smiled, nodding his head.

_#Okay then.#_ Yami walked over to the bed with the last pair of pyjamas and proceeded to undress Yugi, gently pulling on the far-too-large night clothes on his thin body.

_#Aw, bless! They're way too big for him!#_ Bakura said, his eyes twinkling.

_#Yeah…#_

_#Let's put them in here.# _Bakura said, placing Ryou on the bed that Yugi and he had used earlier to sleep on. He lifted up the covers, half covering him before looking to Yami expectantly.

_#What, in the same bed?#_

_#Might as well. It's not going to make a difference, is it?#_ Yami shrugged, before walking over and lying Yugi down on the bed as well, Bakura covering him up with the duvet. #_Sweet…#_ Bakura sighed, looking dreamily at their sleeping Lights. Yami looked down at them too; their faces so peaceful as they slept, blissfully unaware of the going's on around them.

_#Yeah…#_ Yami agreed, before walking towards the door and turning around in the frame, smiling back at Bakura. #_You coming?#_ Bakura looked at him, before staring pointedly at the empty bed. #_Err…you want to…?#_ Yami nodded his head towards the bed Bakura was staring at. Bakura turned back to him, blushing a beautiful shade of magenta.

Yami nodded his head, closing the door behind him and walking over to where Bakura was standing. He slid his arms around Bakura's waist, catching his lips in unexpected but intoxicating kiss.

_#Do you love me?#_ Yami asked, still holding Bakura in his kiss.

_#I don't know…#_ Yami stopped suddenly, lowering his head in shame.

_#I'm sorry Bakura. I don't know why I did it.#_ He sighed, shivering slightly with the cold of the room. Bakura pulled Yami closer to him, shaking his head. He placed his hand under Yami's chin, lifting his face up so that they were looking into each other's eyes.

_#Don't worry, Yami…#_ Bakura launched himself at Yami's lips, using both arms to hold him tightly to his body.

Yami began to finger Bakura's shirt buttons, wondering whether on not he should undo them. Bakura took a hold of Yami's hand and guided it to the buttons on his shirt, undoing the first one to demonstrate to Yami that he wanted him to take his shirt off.

Once Yami had done this, he let Bakura's shirt slip off his arms and onto the floor, reaching his hands down to Bakura's leather pants and undoing those as well.

_#Yami…#_ Bakura groaned, now taking his turn to take off Yami's trousers.

Soon they had managed to strip each other of their clothes, and were lying in the other bed, lips still locked together in their passionate bout of kissing. They hadn't bothered to clear their clothes away from the floor, nor had they bothered putting on any kind of night clothing; they just stayed there kissing, Yami on top of Bakura, carrying on late into the night. The two of them never thought, though, that they may not have been the only ones awake, that there may have been other people watching them from the other side of the room…

* * *

Luff: Now was that predictable or was that predictable? No prizes for guessing it right…

Seto: Too. Much. Angst. What happened to the plot?

Luff: Ahh…I flushed it down the toilet? #Guilty grin#

Seto: Whatever.

Yugi: #Choking# Can't breathe! Too much fluff!

Luff: Oh ha ha, very funny. Too much fluff…God. No respect at all.

Yami: Just hurry up and finish already!

Luff: Oh fine then. Please R&R, and I'll see you all in the next instalment of… 'The Pressures of Life'! (NOTE: which is probably not going to be for a few months yet.) Oh, before I go, for all you disclaimer-hungry people out there, I don't own 'Walls Balls!'. Walls Balls are owned by, err… Walls! Yummy, Walls ice cream…Bye!


	9. Parallel Universe

Note: Thank you very much for waiting, and special thanks to **Sansi** and **harleydbabe222 **for reviewing my last chapter. Here is the next chapter for y'all!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**: This story contains bad language, so if you get offended easily please don't read. There is also a lemon in this chapter, so if you want it email me!

* * *

**Episode 9 – Parallel Universe**

Yami woke up and groaned, clasping his hand to his forehead. His head was throbbing; he had only had a few hours sleep. He looked up to the clock on the bedside table to see that it was half past ten, much later then he thought it was.

Yami looked over to the bed that Yugi and Ryou had been sleeping on, only to find that they weren't there.

_#Yugi? Aibou? Where are you…#_ Yami asked groggily through their link, hoping that Yugi would answer him.

_#Downstairs.#_ Came the short reply- Yugi didn't sound the slightest bit happy.

_#Aibou, what's wrong?#_ Yugi remained silent however, so Yami thought it would be best just to leave him.

"Yami…" Yami looked down to see Bakura stirring underneath him, squinting up at him through half-closed eyes.

"Hello…" Yami whispered, kissing him gently on the lips. Bakura smiled, pulling Yami back down on top of him and hugging him tightly. While they were like this, Yami began to think about why Yugi had sounded so grumpy when he tried to talk to him. At first his brain came up with nothing, but then something slowly dawned on his mind, gasping when he understood what his brain was trying to tell him. "Yugi and Ryou must have seen us like this, Bakura…" Bakura gasped, simultaneously realising the same thing Yami had.

"Oh SHIT…they are NOT going to be happy with us…" Bakura said quietly, fear suddenly filling his eyes.

"I just hope they didn't see anything last night…if they did…"

"Then we are in a Ra-forsaken big shit hole…"

"Bakura! Language!" Yami was worried about what their hikaris would think of them being in the same bed like that, but Bakura swearing his head off wasn't exactly helping him.

"Sorry…"

"Have you tried talking to Ryou yet? I talked to Yugi, but he didn't sound very happy, which is not a good sign so far." Bakura shook his head, before closing his eyes and frowning slightly, obviously trying to make some sort of contact to his hikarai.

_#Ryou? Are you and Yugi alright?#_

_#Yeah, we're just fine. Are you and Yami okay? I mean, you did just spend half the night practically jumping each other!#_ Came the angry reply, before the link was rapidly closed.

"Oh, we're definitely in big shit…" Bakura said quietly, lifting himself up into a sitting position.

"Why? What's wrong?" Bakura looked fearfully at him, not really wanting to repeat what Ryou had said.

_#They saw us last night…Ryou said…#_ He shuddered, folding his arms tightly around himself.

_#What did he say?#_ Yami's voice sounded urgent- he needed to know what their feelings were towards Bakura and himself.

_#Well, I asked him if he and Yugi were okay…#_ Yami nodded, urging him to continue. #_And then he said 'Yeah, we're just fine. Are you and Yami okay? I mean, you did just spend-'#_ Bakura stopped, lowering his head.

_#It's not that bad, what he said, is it?#_ Yami asked.

_#Well, he said that we…spent half the night…practically jumping each other.#_ Bakura closed his eyes, sighing. _#We should have been more careful, Yami…they're furious at us.#_

_#Yes, but don't forget…they did almost exactly the same thing to us, did they not?#_

_#Yeah, but that's beside the point. I mean, they probably didn't do anything nearly as…well, as much, if you know what I mean.#_

_#But how do you know that?#_ Bakura opened his eyes and gave Yami a strange look. Why was he saying all this? #_They did spend almost an hour and a half locked up in here when we were downstairs…#_

_#Yeah, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they did much, Yami! Why are you saying this? We're not trying to find ourselves excuses you know, we should be thinking of what we can do to apologise to our hikaris! They said sorry to US, didn't they?#_ Yami looked at him with shock for a moment, before bowing his head guiltily.

_#Yes…you're right, Bakura. I'm sorry.#_ Yami laid himself back down, turning onto to his side so that he was facing away from Bakura. Bakura looked at him sadly, lying down next to him and embracing him from behind. He leant forward and kissed the back of his neck, hooking his leg around Yami's.

"Yami…you're so modest. Why are you always so submissive?" Bakura asked despondently, gently biting Yami's shoulder.

"I don't know…that's just they way I was taught to do things. I was told that I shouldn't argue with the others around me…they always made all the decisions. I was just their prop. They knew that because I was such a young Pharaoh, they could manipulate me any way they wanted to. I was never given a choice." Bakura felt great sadness inside Yami, heartache and pain beyond anything Bakura had felt himself.

"Yami…you really shouldn't keep your troubles to yourself. Have you told Yugi about any of this?"

"No. I've never told anyone…I didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I was so naïve…" #_But that isn't the point right now. We have to go and apologise to Yugi and Ryou…#_ Yami tried to sit up, but he was held back by Bakura. "What are you doing?"

"Yami…you can't go downstairs in this state." Yami tried to vaguely pull himself free from Bakura's grip, but Bakura was much stronger then he was. "Please, Yami! I hate seeing you like this!"

"That's funny, you used to love seeing me in this state, didn't you?" Bakura gasped, feeling hurt. He felt tears stinging his eyes as he desperately looked at Yami, but Yami made no response.

"Yami, why are you doing this! No wonder you keep hurting Yugi!" Yami eyes suddenly darkened, his glare causing Bakura to recoil away from him.

"Don't you EVER say anything like that again." Yami growled, fury in his eyes. "Yugi has got nothing to do with you, so just stay out of it, alright!" He jumped out of the bed, not caring about the fact that he was completely naked, or that tears were streaming down Bakura's face. He rapidly pulled his clothes on before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Yami…"

* * *

Ryou and Yugi had been listening intently to shouting that was going on upstairs, trying to figure out what was being said. They jumped as they heard the bedroom door slam shut, and watched with surprise as Yami flounced straight past the kitchen and out of the front door, banging it loudly behind him.

"Yami…?" Yugi asked quietly to the now departed Yami, confusion written on his face.

"What was that all about?" Ryou walked over to the window and looked out of it, watching as Yami walked down the street in the direction of the park. "He's going to the park…" Ryou turned back to Yugi, a questioning look on his face.

"Well, I don't know what it was!" Yugi said, looking annoyed. "If anything, we should be the ones storming out, not him!"

"Yugi, you don't know what happened up there. Maybe it was something bad." Ryou said quietly, his voice filled with that kind of sadness that was always there; it was one of Ryou's many qualities, one that Yugi loved so much. Ryou's voice was always so gentle, you could never get mad at him.

"Yeah, you're probably right…" Yugi sighed, smiling. Ryou smiled too, Yugi at once melting at the sight of Ryou's chocolaty-brown eyes. Ryou walked slowly up to him, and upon reaching him began to stroke Yugi's face gently, causing Yugi to blush. "I'll see if I can get anything out of him…" Yugi said, before closing his eyes and trying to make contact with Yami through their link.

_#Yami…? What's wrong? Why did you run off like that?#_

_#It doesn't matter. Go home.# _Yami replied harshly, hurting Yugi's feelings.

_#Why?#_

_#Because I told you to, Yugi. Go home.#_

_#No, I won't. Yami, we still need to talk things through, but we can't if-#_

_#Yugi, how many times do I have to tell you!#_ Yami shouted, catching Yugi by surprise.

_#But…#_

_#No more excuses! Go home now!#_ Yami shut the link off, leaving Yugi feeling hurt and confused.

Yugi opened his eyes to find a concerned Ryou looking down at him. He felt tears streaming out of his eyes, his heart breaking from the shouting Yami had just done to him.

"Yugi? What on earth's the matter!" Yugi remained still, not reacting to what Ryou had asked. Ryou sighed, placing his arms around Yugi and holding him tightly. Yugi buried his face in Ryou's chest, trying his best to control the tears that were still leaking from his eyes. "Yugi, please tell me…"

"Yami- shouted at me!" Yugi cried, hiccupping slightly.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" Ryou sighed, gently rubbing Yugi's back. "We have to find him!" He coughed, grabbing tightly onto Ryou's shirt. "I need to know what's wrong with him!"

"Maybe we should ask Bakura…" Ryou said quietly. Yugi nodded his head slowly, furiously wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Yes, I need to know…" Yugi limped his way out of the kitchen, leaning on Ryou's arm as a support.

They eventually managed to get up the stairs, and were soon standing in front of the bedroom door. Ryou opened it quietly, peering inside to see if Bakura was in a bad mood.

"Bakura?" No answer; it was still dark in there, the curtains drawn closed. Yugi and Ryou crept into the room, closing the door behind them.

Ryou walked over to the bed, staring down at Bakura's still form. He placed a hand on his shoulder, but Bakura didn't react; he appeared to be asleep. Bakura was facing away from them towards the wall, so Ryou carefully climbed over him and lay down next to him.

"Bakura…? Are you alright?" Yugi saw Bakura shake his head.

Ryou leant forward and gently kissed Bakura on the lips, tenderly stroking away the tears on Bakura's face. Yugi turned around, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. Ryou slid his arms around Bakura's bare chest, lifting him up into to a sitting position. Bakura let his head fall against Ryou's chest, too upset to make any kind of objection.

"What happened? Did Yami shout at you?" Bakura nodded his head. He felt the dampness of Ryou's shirt and lifted his head to look at him.

_#Why is your shirt wet?#_ Ryou nodded his head towards Yugi, who was still facing away from them.

_#Yugi…#_ Yugi turned around to find Bakura and Ryou staring at him; he was surprised to see that Bakura's eyes were red from crying, and Bakura was equally surprised to see that Yugi was crying, too.

"Bakura, what happened between you and Yami?" Yugi asked, his voice breaking.

"Yami got angry at something I said…" Bakura whispered, casting his gaze downwards. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I should be the one to tell you what it was." Yugi nodded his head.

"But why are you crying?" Bakura beckoned Yugi over to him, holding out his hand just the way Yugi had done to Yami the day before. Yugi walked uncertainly over to him, taking Bakura's hand and letting himself be pulled onto the bed. Bakura kept a firm grip on his hand, as if he needed to keep it somewhere where he could reach it.

"I'm crying because of what he said to me. He said that I love to see him upset, and that I should stop…I dunno, poking my nose in his business. And then he stormed off. But what happened to you? Yami was shouting at me because he thought I was offending you, but I wasn't."

"He shouted at me…he told me that I should just go home, and that I shouldn't question him." Yugi closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. Bakura reached his free hand out to wipe away Yugi's tears, surprisingly gently to what Yugi had expected.

"Why is he doing this?" Ryou wondered, tightening his grip on Bakura.

"I don't know, but I'm worried…" Fresh tears started to roll down Yugi's cheeks as he stared blankly at Bakura's torso. "Yami…I need you…where are you?"

"Yugi…" Ryou whispered. Bakura tugged on Yugi's arm, pulling him into an embrace. Ryou crawled around them so that he was now behind Yugi, reaching his hands round so that he was holding both Yugi and Bakura. "Don't worry, we'll get this sorted…I love you both so much, and I hate to see you upset." Yugi and Bakura looked at him gratefully, each leaning forward to kiss him.

"Come on, then…let's get going." Bakura said quietly, before lifting the covers up and sliding himself off the bed. Yugi gasped and turned around, wanting to avoid staring at Bakura's groin area. Bakura turned and smiled at him, before pulling his clothes on and running his fingers through his long white hair, ridding it of any knots he had gained in the night.

"Wouldn't it be easier just to brush it?" Yugi asked. Bakura turned to him with a look of surprise on his face.

"No! Hairbrushes are for poofs!" Yugi giggled slightly as he saw the shocked look on Ryou's face.

"Hey! I'm not a poof!" Bakura stared at him, suppressing a smile on his face.

"Ra, don't tell me you use a hairbrush Ryou! I mean, I know you have one but…"

"Yeah, well, don't start thinking I haven't seen you standing in front of the bathroom mirror with a brush in your hand! You know as well as I do that if you don't brush your hair it's going to be hell in the mornings…"

"Shut up." Bakura said, blushing.

"Heh heh…you can't escape the curse of the hairbrush, Bakura…it's calling to you to be used…"

"Oi, watch it!" Bakura said sharply. Ryou snorted, before grabbing Yugi's arm and dragging him out of the room.

"He's just too chicken to admit it…anyway, let's wait for him downstairs."

"'Kay…" Yugi took a hold of Ryou's hand as they walked down the stairs together, Yugi leaning his head on Ryou's shoulder. _#Thank you.#_ They reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the kitchen, still hand-in-hand. Ryou looked up at him, confused.

_#What for, Yugi?# _Yugi smiled and stopped in front of him, slipping his arms around Ryou's waist.

_#I don't know…I just felt I needed to say it.#_

_#Hmm.#_ Ryou placed his arms around Yugi and held him gently, lightly kissing his forehead.

_#I love you, Ryou…#_

_#I love you too, Yugi…#_ They held each other in their arms until they heard Bakura walking down the stairs, sharing a quick kiss just before he walked into the kitchen.

"Right, are you ready to go?" Yugi and Ryou nodded, before walking out of the kitchen and going into the hall. They quickly put their shoes on, opened the door and proceeded on their way towards the park.

"I wonder if he's still there." Ryou asked to no one in particular, feeling the need to voice the question.

"Well, let's hope so…I don't know if I can find him so easily." Yugi said, searching as much of the park that he could from the road.

"Why don't you try talking to him again, Yugi? Maybe he's calmed down a bit by now." Ryou suggested, trying to think of ways they could use to find Yami.

"I dunno, he sounded pretty mad last time. And I know him, he's not one to calm down so easily."

"Well, it's worth a shot…" Bakura murmured, speeding up as the entrance to the park came into view.

"Oh all right, I'll try…but I'm not promising anything…" Yugi sighed, before concentrating his mind on the Puzzle around his neck and connecting himself with Yami's mind. _#Yami?#_ Silence. _#Yami…? Are you there?#_ Still no answer. He sighed again, annoyed with Yami for ignoring him.

"Any luck, Yugi?" Ryou asked, noticing Yugi's look of annoyance.

"No, not a word…I guess he must have closed the link…" Bakura frowned, puzzled by Yugi's words. 'He must have closed the link…' Why would Yami do something like that?

"Why would he do that?" Bakura pondered, just as they walked in through the entrance of the park. They stopped for a moment, squinting their eyes against the brightness of the morning sun. "I don't see him…" he said, quickly scanning the edge of the lake in the centre of the park.

"No, neither do I…" Ryou confirmed, gazing at a spot some 500 yards in front of them. "You sense him, Yugi?"

"Yes…" He replied slowly, taking his time to thoroughly search all that he could see. "But I don't think he's near here…he's probably somewhere on the other side of the lake…" So with that they all set off in that direction, all the while straining their eyes to see if they could catch a glimpse of him.

Ten minutes later they had reached the other side of the lake, and Bakura and Ryou were now jogging to keep up as Yugi race ahead of them, sensing him more clearly with every step he took.

"Hey Yugi, slow down!" One of them would shout out occasionally, but Yugi would just mutter "Not far now…" and pick up his pace even more.

"God, what's up…with him?" Ryou panted, having trouble keeping up with them.

"I don't know, but we shouldn't lose him…keep him in sight…" Bakura found the pace easier to keep up with then Ryou did, and was constantly encouraging him not to stop.

"Can't…keep up!" Ryou gasped out, before stopping and bending over, hands on his knees. Bakura looked back at him with concern, he too stopping and walking the little way back towards Ryou. "Bakura…keep going…I'll be alright…keep an eye…on Yugi…" Ryou eventually managed to say, and no sooner had he said than Bakura was running off again, now able to run at full pelt as he chased after Yugi. #_Yugi, please slow down!#_ Ryou called out to him, but Yugi appeared not to be listening as he and Bakura faded out of sight around a corner. #_Why's he changed all of a sudden? I've never known him to run so fast before…#_ Ryou thought to himself as he slowly started to walk in the direction that Yugi and Bakura had gone. #_This is going so wrong…in a way I wish none of this had ever happened.#_ His bitter thoughts remained with him as progressed across the park, occasionally looking to the lake, the bright sun glinting off the surface of the calm water and dazzling his eyes. #_Things will never be the same…#

* * *

__#Yami!#_ Yugi screamed as he fell to the ground, shaking and crying as he fought to take control of his emotions. "Please, where are you!" He cried, clutching at the grass beneath his hands. "Why are you ignoring me! What have I done?"

"You've disobeyed me…" Yugi gasped and looked up, Yami's face glowering down at him. He stared wide-eyed at the once kind and loving person Yugi had grown to trust and adore, but his face was no longer recognisable as that. Now his eyes were cold, and they held no kind of emotion as they continued to glare piercingly at him, holding Yugi in a kind of horrifying trance.

"Yami…what's happened to you?" Yugi whispered. "Where are you…"

"I'm right here…" The spirit said, in a voice of steely-malice.

"You're not-" Yugi said, shaking his head. "You're not…I can tell you're not…who are you?"

"It will be revealed to you soon enough, my love…" The spirit whispered, his voice now full of lust and wanting.

"Why are you doing this to him! He doesn't deserve this!" Yugi said desperately, trying to remain strong under the cruel eyes that will still staring down at him.

"You don't know that…" It whispered, eyes full of spite.

"What- what do you mean?" Yugi asked nervously, moving back as the spirit knelt down in front of him, reaching out an arm towards him.

"You don't know that he never did anything to me…" Yugi moved quickly away from the spirit's imposing hand, which was aiming towards his Puzzle. Yugi stood up and began to run, but fell hard on his face as the spirit shot out his hand and grabbed Yugi by the ankle, snaking up his body so that he was lying on top of him and pinning him to the ground.

"GET OFF, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Yugi screamed, struggling as hard as he could under the spirit's body, but soon found that he was growing weaker and weaker. Somehow the spirit was draining his energy from him, and could feel dark magic pressing in around him as the spirit became stronger and stronger. In a last desperate attempt to stop the evil spirit, Yugi reached a hand up to his chest, feeling around him for his sennen Puzzle and gripping it tightly. He forced himself to use it, but felt a searing pain inside him when he tried; the Puzzle he wore was slowly losing its energy, and was fading from his hand. Yugi was soon clutching onto nothing but air, fear gripping onto his heart. "What…" Yugi managed to whisper, before his body fell completely limp. He could no longer move, are barely seemed to be alive.

"YAMI!" Yugi heard someone shout, groaning as the noise started to make his head throb. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"

* * *

The spirit stood up, stepping carelessly over Yugi's body as he walked over to a furious-looking Bakura.

"What's it to you, Tomb Robber? I thought you would have enjoyed seeing the Pharaoh's little Hikari in pain…" Bakura glared angrily at him, the Ring hanging around his neck beginning to glow.

"That's what you think…" He muttered, a golden eye now appearing on his forehead.

"I don't think, I know…or have you really changed that much?" The spirit smirked as a look of surprise covered Bakura's face. "Well, I'm afraid there's little you can do to prevent me-" The spirit stopped short as he felt a sudden stinging pain on his cheek as Bakura's hand made contact with his face, gasping slightly at the shock of it. He raised a finger to his cheek, feeling it as though he had never experienced anything like it before; or at least not in a long time. "It's good to know what pain feels like…" The spirit remarked, before turning on his heel and walking off away from them, chuckling darkly to himself.

Bakura watched him go until he eventually disappeared, seeming to vanish into nothing.

_#Ryou! Where are you?#_ Bakura called, stepping over to Yugi as he did so.

_#I'm coming; I can see you from here.#_ Bakura looked around him and spotted Ryou walking quickly towards them, a concerned look on his face. Bakura looked back to Yugi, kneeling down next to him to make sure that he was okay. He placed a hand on Yugi's back, but the only thing Yugi could do was whimper slightly, still too weak to move.

"Yugi…what did he do to you?" Bakura whispered, gently picking him up and turning him over in his arms. Yugi whimpered again, his hand still clenched in a fist.

By now Ryou had reached them, and was rushing to Yugi's side.

_#Yugi! Yugi, what happened?#_ He asked, taking a hold of Yugi's clenched hand.

_#Yami…spirit…took…Puzzle…#_ Ryou looked confused for a moment, turning to look at Bakura.

"What did he say?" He asked, certain that words had passed between the two hikari's.

"He said something about Yami, spirit, and 'took puzzle'…"

"What…took… He took Yugi's Puzzle?" Bakura looked down as he felt Yugi move in his arms, who was feebly raising up his clenched hand.

_#Yugi…did Yami take your Puzzle from you?#_ Ryou asked seriously, placing a hand under Yugi's chin. Yugi shook his head.

_#Spirit…#_ was all he said.

_#What do you mean, spirit?#_

_#Yami…taken…gone… Spirit!#_ Ryou turned slowly back to Bakura, a look of horrifying realisation appearing on his face.

"What? Ryou tell me, what-"

"I think…I think Yugi is trying to say that…Yami's gone. Taken over by a spirit or something…is that right, Yugi?" Yugi nodded his head slightly, opening an eye to squint up at them.

_#Find…Yami…help him…please…#_

_#Okay Yugi, we'll find him…It'll be all right…#_ Ryou squeezed Yugi's hand reassuringly, gently stroking it with his thumb.

"I'll see if I can find him. You take Yugi to his home, and STAY with him, please. I'll come later to tell you if I've found Yami or not. Promise me you won't leave him until I come?" Bakura asked, letting Ryou pick Yugi up from his arms.

"Yes, I'll stay with him. Please…" Ryou paused. "Be careful… I don't want you to get hurt…" Ryou leant forward and planted a soft kiss on Bakura's lips, before standing up and shifting Yugi in his arms.

_#Okay Ryou, I'll be careful…I'll see you later then, I guess…#_ Ryou nodded, before turning around and walking speedily out of the park. #_Take care, Aibou…# _

_

* * *

Joey and Seto decided that instead of staying indoors, they would take a walk in the afternoon sunshine, not wanting to stay cooped up inside. They chose to go to the park; that way they could talk to each other without anyone interfering._

"So…" Joey said after a while, stopping to stare at the lake. He was holding Seto's hand, and was leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Seto said, gazing listlessly across the park.

"How far are we going to take this?" Seto came out of his trance and smiled down at Joey, who was now looking quietly up into his eyes.

"Well, as far as we want it to go, I suppose…I won't force you to anything that you don't want to do. I don't want to hurt you…" Joey sighed happily, once again looking out to stare across the park.

"Okay…" They carried on walking slowly, taking their time to take in everything that had happened to them that day.

It didn't take long for them to get to the other side of the lake, and when they did they sat down on the bank, arms around each other.

"So how d'you think the others will react to this?" Joey asked casually.

"I don't know…I hope they don't react too badly. That is, if you actually want to tell them. You know we don't have to." Seto replied. Joey smiled, shaking his head.

"I think we should…it would just be too difficult if we didn't. I mean, we'll hardly be able to hide it from them anyway."

"Yeah, I suppose." They remained silent for a while, both pondering on things that were troubling their minds. "What do you think's going on with Ryou and Bakura? You remember at the cinema, they were acting really weirdly…"

"Yeah, they were…we should ask them what's going on between them…well, without trying to sound too rude, anyway."

"Huh." Seto looked up to the sky, in which there were now heavy rain clouds forming. "Looks like rain's on its way…" Joey looked up too to the darkening sky, and shivered as the sun disappeared behind a cloud.

"Come on, let's get going…" Joey said, before standing up. He turned around and stopped dead, staring straight into…

* * *

(Soz, I have to stop it there otherwise you're gonna know what happens!) 

Tristan walked steadily on his way to the park, planning to meet Téa there so they could discuss some things that were on both their minds. They would have talked on the phone, but there would have been too much interference from the people around them, and it was just easier to talk face to face.

He arrived there about five minutes later, scanning the area to see if he could spot her.

"Hey Tristan! Over here!" Tristan spun around to find Téa walking towards him, smiling and waving. Tristan stood still and waited for her to reach him, greeting her when she did so.

"Hi Téa."

"So…we need to talk about the others, don't we? We have to get this straight…"

"Yup." They started to walk towards the lake, telling each other what they had been doing over the past few days, just to get it out of the way: but they soon found that this was turning into what they had come there about anyway.

"What IS going on with those guys? They've been acting so bizarrely recently…" Tristan pondered, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah…we should really ask them about it. I mean, it's not so hard, is it?" Téa bit her lip, placing a hand under her chin. "We need to find out if…they're…"

"Let's say together…I don't think we should be using the word 'gay'."

"Why not?"

"I don't know…it just sounds…weird, I suppose. Anyway, it may not be that." Tristan really didn't like that word; it was not that he had anything against gay people, it was just that it sounded strange to him.

"Oh…" Their conversation continued on like this for some time, occasionally looking up to see clouds in the sky getting bigger and more frequent.

"Hey…d'you think it's gonna rain?" Tristan asked, stopping so he could see the sky properly.

"Yeah…we should get going…" Tristan looked down again to edge of the lake, where he could just make out two heads over a hill in the ground. He walked over to the two heads, curious to see who they were.

"Where are you going, Trist'?" Téa asked, jogging to catch up with him.

"Just wanted to see…" He stopped when he saw one of the people stand up, and gasped when he saw it was Joey. He was about to say hi, when the other figure stood up too, revealing…

"Seto! What are they…" She didn't need to finish her question though, seeing as it was blatantly obvious what was going on. "Joey?" Joey was staring at them, an anxious look on his face.

"Oh!" Seto said with surprise as he spotted Téa and Tristan staring at them. "Ahh…umm…"

"Don't worry." Téa said quickly. "I think Tristan and I have already figure out what's going on here." Seto sighed with relief, but Joey still looked anxious.

"Hey, relax!" Tristan said cheerfully, walking towards them. He stopped when he was standing in front of them, a smile on his face. "You don't have to worry about it, Joey; it's nothing to be embarrassed about." Joey was just about to open his mouth to answer back, when they suddenly heard a cry of pain from behind them.

"What the hell was that!" Joey yelled, before sprinting off in the direction of the noise.

"Hey Joey, wait for us!" Téa called, running off as fast as she could after him. Tristan and Seto looked at each other, shrugged, and started to chase after them towards the source of the cry…

* * *

Bakura had been walking around the park for a few hours now, and he was beginning to grow tired and hungry. Apparently finding Yami was not going to be as easy as he thought…however, not really put off by this, he continued to search through the wooded areas surrounding the park, trying to find any clue that Yami had been there at all.

His hopeless search soon brought him right back to where it had all started for the fifth time that day, once again not having found any sign of Yami.

_#Where on earth is that Pharaoh?#_ Bakura asked himself, staring hopelessly across the lake. #_Surely if he was still here I would have found him by now?#_ He started to walk slowly along the bank of the lake, staring at his reflection in the water. He watched as he saw the sky grow steadily darker, a chilly breeze picking up and ruffling his long white hair. #_It's getting late…maybe I should call it a day.# _He sighed as he turned around and started to walk back to the entrance of the park, his mind a haze of words and thoughts. #_How am I ever going to explain this to Yugi? I said that I would find Yami, but I haven't…#_

"Whoever said I wanted you to find me?" Bakura started and turned around, Yami standing right behind him.

"Who are you? What do you want with Yami?" Bakura growled, getting into a fighting position.

"Ha ha! Don't be so foolish as to think you could ever beat me in a fight! You may be immortal, but you are not invincible!" the spirit sneered at him, showing none of Yami's true kindness and nature. "As for who I am…I am in everyone, and I am no one. Ever wondered what happened to you after you came back from the Shadow Realm, Bakura? Or have you been listening to the pathetic excuses the Pharaoh has been giving you? Tut tut, aren't we changed…"

"What are you talking about!" Bakura spat, feeling the anger bubble up inside him.

"Now, now, no need to lose your temper…" But this just provoked Bakura even more, his eyes turning into slits as he activated the power of the Millennium Ring. "But I thought you wanted me to tell you who I was…I can't do that if you hurt me…and besides, you don't want hurt Yami, do you? You love him…"

"SHUT UP!" Bakura said furiously, tears stinging his eyes.

"Aww, isn't that sweet…Bakura's getting all stressy and emotional. Strange…I thought you didn't have emotions, especially when I was with you…but you dumped me."

"W-what?" Bakura stuttered, eyes growing wide.

"It's because of you that this is happening to Yami…" Bakura felt both hurt and annoyed, still glaring determinedly at the spirit.

"I don't understand…"

"Huh, I didn't think you would…" The spirit suddenly came towards him, reaching out his arm to take Bakura's Ring.

"Oh no you fucking don't!" Bakura shouted, blasting the spirit with energy from his Ring. Being much more stronger than Yugi, Bakura's hit had done more then simply knock him over; he flew into the air, sailing a few feet before landing on the ground with a crash and a cry of pain.

"You'll regret doing that!" The spirit spat, before springing to his feet and running towards Bakura, screaming, "MIND CRUSH!"

"ARGH!" Bakura fell to the ground, rendered totally immobilized. The spirit walked quickly over to him, kneeling his legs on either side of Bakura's body and lying down on top of him.

"Can you hear me, bitch?" The spirit whispered harshly in his ear, biting down on it with his teeth. Bakura wanted to cry out, cry out for help, but found he could do nothing, even as the spirit began to sink his teeth into his arms and neck.

"What the FUCK!" Bakura heard someone shout, the sound of running feet now coming into earshot. He heard the spirit hiss in anger, gripping his shoulders in a painfully tight grasp.

"Let go of him!" A girl's voice cried: Téa. Bakura was grateful for Téa's timing, and to whoever the other people were.

"Why should I? He's mine…" Bakura felt the spirit stand up, before feeling a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around his chest, lifting him up off the ground. Bakura's eyes were open, and he could now see the other people he had heard running.

"Bakura!" He saw Joey shout, with Seto by his side. Téa and Tristan were standing next to him, all glowering at the evil spirit.

"He's not yours, now let go of him!" Seto said angrily, taking a step towards him.

"I wouldn't come so close if I were you." The spirit said suddenly, moving back slightly. Bakura felt dark energy pressing in around him, and immediately felt pain shooting through his body.

Bakura let out a long, loud scream of agony as the pain became unbearable, at the same time feeling himself fading from reality.

"BAKURA!" Bakura felt himself fall to the ground as the spirit dropped him, hearing him cry in pain.

"Curse you! I swear I'll make you pay for this!" He heard him scream, before the pain in his heart faded, and felt himself returning back to consciousness.

"Bakura…" Bakura was gently lifted into a sitting position on somebody's lap, firm arms supporting him around his chest. He opened his eyes and saw he was staring up into Tristan's face, which was looking concernedly down at him. "Bakura, are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine…" Bakura said quietly, leaning his head against Tristan. "But Yami…I dunno. He's been acting weird over the past few days…since we went to the cinema. He keeps hurting Yugi, and he's taken his Puzzle from him…"

"He did WHAT!" Joey shouted, looking at him with a mixture of shock and something that almost looked like disgust.

"Where is Yugi now?" Téa asked urgently.

"Ryou…took him home. I told him to stay with him until I could find Yami." Bakura said, coughing.

"But…why did Yami do it? It's not like him…" Seto frowned.

"Not at all…but it wasn't him." Bakura cast his eyes round to look at Yami, who was being lifted up by Joey. His head fell limply to the side, so Bakura could now see his face; it no longer looked angry and evil, but peaceful and tired.

"Oh?" Joey looked at him, puzzled. Bakura smiled, before trying to stand up; but he found that this was not possible as his legs collapsed and he fell to the ground again.

"Hey, take it easy…" Tristan said, walking up to Bakura and picking him up in his arms. Bakura made no attempt to resist it, just feeling grateful that he was still there.

"What do you mean, it wasn't Yami?" Seto asked, walking so he was standing next Tristan and Bakura.

"I dunno…it's kind of confusing…" Just as Bakura said this he felt a spit of rain on his face, causing him to shake his head with surprise.

"I think we should go…before it starts to rain properly." Téa suggested. Bakura nodded his head.

"Yes. I promised Ryou I would go to Yugi's home and tell them if I had found Yami or not…"

"Right, let's go." Joey said, before they rapidly walked in the direction of the park gates.

* * *

Ryou had managed to get Yugi home without too much trouble, and was now sitting on the floor next to the sofa on which Yugi was lying. He had made them both tea, and Yugi had managed to sit himself up, surrounded by pillows and blankets.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" Ryou asked quietly, feeling Yugi's forehead. Yugi shook his head; he looked utterly miserable. "Oh, Yugi…" Ryou put his mug down on the table and sat on the sofa, gathering Yugi up in his arms.

"Ryou…" Yugi whimpered, starting to cry. Ryou sighed gently, kissing Yugi's cheeks as he stroked his tears away.

"Don't worry Yugi…everything's going to be okay…please don't cry." Ryou took the blanket and wrapped him up in it, holding Yugi gently to him.

Ryou and Yugi stayed there for hours, growing ever more impatient and worried as there continued to be no sign of Bakura. Eventually Yugi fell asleep, but Ryou stayed wide awake, fretting over the things that might have happened to Yami and Bakura in the park while they weren't there.

"Oh, where is he…?" Ryou whispered, getting up and walking over to the window. He looked to the sky, which was beginning to darken. "Looks like it's going to rain…" He reached a hand to close the window, but stopped when he felt a sudden, agonising pain in his heart. "ARGH!" He screamed, falling to the floor with a crash. "BAKURA!"

Yugi woke up after he heard Ryou scream, and looked over to find him lying on the floor, arms crossed over his chest. Yugi slid off the sofa and walked as quickly as he could towards Ryou, falling to his knees in front of him.

"Ryou, what happened? What's wrong?" He asked, watching Ryou struggle on the floor.

"BAKURA!" He yelled again, his eyes swinging wildly around the room. He grabbed Yugi's arm and held it tightly, causing Yugi to wince slightly.

"Ryou, what's wrong!" Yugi said desperately, pain filtering through his arm.

"Bakura…" Ryou gasped, letting go of Yugi's arms and letting it fall down to the floor. The pain was fading from him, but it left him shocked and shaken.

Yugi tried to lift him up so he take him over to the sofa, but Ryou wouldn't budge; instead, Yugi went back to the sofa and took the duvet, walking back to Ryou and sitting him up, before sitting down next to him and covering them both with it.

"What happened?" Yugi asked again, settling himself in between Ryou's legs and placing a hand on the side of his face.

"Bakura's- hurt." Ryou stuttered, gripping Yugi tightly around the waist.

"How is he hurt?" Yugi whispered, kissing Ryou's cheek.

"I don't kn-know. He just is…or was."

"Well, it looks like we both have something to worry about…" Ryou shivered slightly; the window was still open. Yugi stood up and closed it, a few spits of rain landing on his face. He stared out onto the street, gazing listlessly at the ever-growing bank of clouds that was becoming greyer and heavier by the minute.

"Yugi…" Yugi looked down as he heard Ryou speak, smiling before sitting back down again.

"Sorry…" Yugi leant forward and kissed Ryou's lips, pushing himself as close as possible to him. #_Please cheer up…I'm sure Bakura's okay…#_

They sat huddled up like this, not willing to let the other go in case something happened to them if they did. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep, feeling safe in the other's loving embrace…

* * *

By the time Tristan and everyone else to get to the Game shop it was bucketing down with rain, and each of them was soaked and absolutely freezing. They rushed in through the front door, which was left open by Ryou and Yugi, and then proceeded to trudge their way up the stairs, careful not to get the floor too wet.

"Ryou?" Bakura called as he stepped in through the door, standing aside to let the others follow him in. "Are you-" He stopped when he saw Ryou poke his head round the living room door. "Are you alrigh-" He was almost thrown backwards onto the ground as Ryou jumped into his arms, crying loudly into his chest.

"Bakura what h-happened to you? You were h-hurt…" Bakura held Ryou gently, kissing his forehead.

"I'm fine, Ryou…sshh…" Bakura looked up to find everyone staring at him puzzlement, and blushed when he realised why. "Oh…err…I'll explain later." He turned back to Ryou, before asking, "Are you alright? Where's Yugi?"

_#Living room…#_ Bakura nodded his head, before signalling the others to follow him in. They found Yugi lying on the sofa, apparently asleep.

"Yugi…?" Téa said, walking over to the sofa and kneeling down next to it. Yugi opened his eyes and stared with confusion at her for a moment, before looking up and finding everyone else standing around and watching him.

"Téa…? What are you doing here?" Téa looked apologetically at him, but before she could speak Yugi said, "You're soaked…you need to get dry…" Yugi sat up and got off the sofa, walking in a half-daze. He stopped when he saw Seto with Yami still lying in his arms. "You found him…" Yugi sighed, before carrying on past him and into the hall.

"Yugi…" Ryou whispered, before following him out.

"Ah, would anyone like to explain what's goin' on here?" Joey asked.

"Sorry…bad few days recently…" #_Oh, Yami, wake up! Please! Don't let me have to face them on my own…#_ Bakura thought furiously, looking towards his unconscious form. "Oh, um, you can put him on the sofa, by the way…" Seto nodded, walking stiffly over in his wet clothes and laying Yami down. #_Come on, Yami…you need to give Yugi his Puzzle back…#_

_#What?#_ Bakura started as Yami's voice filled his mind, which sounded confused and dazed.

_#Are you alright Yami?#_ Bakura asked, walking over to him. Yami stirred, opening his eyes a little and turning to look at Bakura.

"Yes…I think. Where's Yugi? I need to…" He tried to get up, but was forced back down by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Do you…remember anything that happened?" Yami nodded his head.

"I remember everything…I couldn't control it…please, I need to see Yugi…" Tears started to fill Yami's eyes as he once again tried to stand up, this time pushing Bakura's hand aside as he walked unsteadily to the bathroom. "Y-Yugi?" #_Yugi…#_ "Yugi please…" Yami fell to his knees, leaning his arm on the bathroom's doorframe.

"Yami…" Yugi walked up to him, and stood in front of him quietly.

"Yugi, I'm so sorry!" Yami blurted out, tears streaming down his face. "I honestly didn't mean- oh…" Yami stopped as Yugi slapped his face, catching him unawares. He didn't react though; he just looked down at the floor, feeling sad and ashamed. "Do you…want this back? I understand if you don't…if you want me to go…" Yugi knelt down in front of him, placing his hand gently over where he had hit him.

"That was for your own satisfaction…I did it because I want you to stop punishing yourself for things that weren't even your fault…"

"But, what about…last night? Aren't you mad at me for that?"

"Oh, what's the point? There's nothing I can do about it…I can't control your life." Yami nodded slightly to show that he understood, but he still felt guilty. "As for wanting you to go…" Yugi placed a finger under Yami's chin and lifted it up, before locking his lips over Yami's and holding him in a deep, passionate kiss. #_I told you that I would still love you, and I don't care about what you did…#_

Yami felt a new, internal happiness as he clutched onto Yugi, tears of joy now filling his eyes.

_#Yugi, I love you so much…#_ Yugi deepened their kiss as he felt his sennen Puzzle return to him, pressing himself closer to his Darker's body.

* * *

Ryou sighed with relief when he saw Yugi and Yami make up, his heart lifting from the heavy anxiety that had been there.

_#It's good to know they're happy…#_ Bakura said, coming up behind Ryou and hugging him.

_#Yeah…#_ Ryou turned around and slipped his arms round Bakura's waist, reaching up and kissing him softly on the lips.

_#Are you still mad at me for this morning?#_ Ryou shrugged, an unconcerned look on his face.

_#I don't know.#_ Bakura looked sadly down at the floor, letting his arms fall to his sides. #_But what I do know is…#_ Bakura looked up just as Ryou's lips made contact with his, his stomach fluttering with happiness. #_I love you…#_

_#I love you too…#_ They broke apart and stood there hugging, before turning around and walking straight into the accusing stare of Téa, Tristan, Seto and Joey.

"Uh!" Ryou gasped, blushing furiously. Bakura and he watched as their gazes turned towards Yugi and Yami, who appeared to be completely ignoring them. "What do you think you're doing! Come on, get back in there!" He whispered, before shimmying them along back into the living room, closing the door behind them.

"Why did we have to go?" Tristan asked, confused. Ryou sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes at the ceiling.

"Why! One, because it's rude to stare, and two, those two need some time alone together! You have no idea how much they've been through recently!" Ryou snapped, looking angrily at them.

"Whoa, chill out, man!" Joey said, backing away slightly.

"Take it easy, Ryou…" Bakura said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ryou gritted his teeth, growling slightly.

"Why are you being so protective of them?" Seto asked in his annoyingly calm and cold voice.

"Because I AM! And that's got nothing to do with you!"

"Ryou!" Bakura said, surprised by his change in character.

"What?" He said grumpily, scowling at the floor.

_#Just relax, okay? Don't get so worked up…#_ Ryou snorted before walking over to the window, opening it and leaning on the frame. It had stopped raining by now, and a watery sun was just peaking out from behind a fluffy grey cloud. He felt his nerves calm as the cool breeze blew in his face; he needed some fresh air. #_Are you alright?#_

_#Yeah…sorry…#_

_#Don't worry about it. It's not your fault.#_ Bakura sighed a little before turning back to the others, smiling awkwardly at them.

"Uh…" Téa was indicating herself and the others, before pointing to the door.

"No, no, don't worry. We still need to talk, and we still need to get dry…" Bakura said quickly. He walked towards the door and out of it, to find that the bathroom was now empty. Yugi and Yami had obviously decided the bathroom floor was probably not the best place to make out…

**Abit earlier...**

Yugi and Yami broke up their kiss, gazing into each other's eyes.

_#Come on, Yami…#_ Yugi said, taking Yami's arm and leading him towards their bedroom.

_#What…#_ Yami walked in with Yugi following behind him. He closed and locked the door after himself, after checking that there was nobody nearby. #_Yugi…#_ Yugi walked up to Yami and kissed him, peeling his shirt off and dropping it on the floor. #_What are you doing?#_ Yami asked, holding Yugi by his shoulders.

_#You're wet, duh. And freezing.#_ Yugi replied, taking a step closer to Yami. #_And I plan on warming you up…#_ He grinned, before kneeling in front of him and unbuckling his belt. Yami smiled, relaxing as Yugi pulled his trousers down and started to gently rub his skin dry.

* * *

_Sorry! No lemons allowed! Please let me know if you want it.

* * *

__#Yugi…I'm sorry…we need to clean this up…#_ Yami slid his arms around Yugi's chest and pulled him up onto his lap, cradling him gently as he waited for Yugi to pacify. _#Bakura…are you still here?#_ Yami asked, whilst kissing Yugi's forehead. Yami slid his arms around Yugi's chest and pulled him up onto his lap, cradling him gently as he waited for Yugi to pacify. Yami asked, whilst kissing Yugi's forehead. 

_#Yes, lucky for you we are. Do you realise we heard everything that went on in there? You need to learn to be a little more quiet, Pharaoh…#_ Bakura's amused voice came through. Yami grimaced.

_#Uhh…#_

_#Look, there's nothing to hide. Everyone in here knows.#_

_#Oh.#_

_#Yes, OH! Anyway, what was it that you wanted?#_

_#Can you…keep everyone away from the bathroom? We need to-#_

_#Clean up? Yes, I figured. Okay, I will, but be quick Pharaoh. Your guests are getting impatient. Hmm, that's another thing me and Ryou have to try…fucking with visitors-#_

_#Yes, all right! I get the picture (Ooh missus!). I'll try and be quick.#_ Yami closed the link before carefully lifting Yugi up, carrying him and some clean clothes to the bathroom. _#Aibou, are you okay?#_ Yugi didn't react at first, holding on tightly to Yami.

_#No…it hurts…#_ His voice sounded muffled from crying.

_#Okay, okay…shhh…it won't hurt for long…#_ Yugi nodded his head slowly, yielding his grip on Yami a little so that he could be lifted into the bath. He lay down on his front, too painful for him to sit up properly.

Yami turned the showerhead on and tested the warmth of the water on his hand, while Yugi looked up at him wantingly.

_#Yami…#_ Yugi reached out his hand and grabbed Yami's arm, tugging him into the bath. Yami smiled lovingly at him before settling himself down, pulling Yugi closer to him. Yami turned the gentle spray of water on Yugi, slowly rinsing down his small body.

_#Could you hold this for a moment, Yugi?# _Yami asked, holding out the showerhead. Yugi nodded, taking it form him while Yami chose a bottle of body wash from the shelf and a sponge. He sat back down again before showing the bottle to Yugi. _#Is this all right for you?#_ Yugi took a moment to read the label before nodding his head. As Yami was putting the shower gel on the sponge, Yugi started to spray Yami with the water, giggling as he saw Yami's hair drooping. _#'Tis not funny, Yugi.#_ Yami said, frowning slightly.

_#Yes it is…it makes you look cute.#_ Yami blushed a little at this, raising his crimson eyes to meet Yugi's sparkling purple ones.

_#What, so I don't look cute anyway?#_ Yami said, with a mock look of astonishment. _#How rude!#_

_#Yami! You can be so silly sometimes…#_ Yugi said, hitting Yami playfully on the arm. Yami pulled Yugi towards him before lathering him with the now saturated sponge, gently massaging his skin to get him to relax. Yugi leaned forward so he was resting against Yami's chest, occasionally raising the showerhead to splash Yami with the water.

_#I think this would be easier if we stood up, Yugi…#_ Yami said, slipping his arms under Yugi's and gently pulling him up so that they were both standing. Yugi held tightly onto Yami while he put the showerhead back in its hook, before once again rubbing Yugi with the sponge. _#Do you feel alright now?#_ Yugi nodded his head.

_#It still hurts…but thank you.#_ He said, reaching up and kissing Yami's lips.

_#What are you thanking me for?#_ Yami asked, confused.

_#Just…because.#_ Yugi pressed himself closer to Yami, deepening their kiss._ #You don't have to ask. Just accept it.#_ Yugi leaned back away from Yami, smiling at him.

_#Hmm…#_

Yami finished cleaning Yugi with the sponge, before rinsing it off and placing it on a rack to dry. He turned the shower off and climbed out of the bath, signalling for Yugi to stay in there. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist before getting another one and covering Yugi with it. Yugi drew the towel tightly around himself, shivering with the cold.

_#Are you okay with drying yourself, Yugi?#_ Yami asked, lifting Yugi out of the bath.

_#Yes…unless you'd rather do it, of course.#_ Yugi smiled slyly at him.

_#If you want me to…#_

_#Of course I want you to…and you know you can't keep your hands off me, anyway.# _

_#True, true…#_ Yugi giggled, Yami nodding his head in a considering way. _#You'd better come over here, then…#_ Yugi stepped over to Yami, falling into his arms as he reached him.

Yugi stood still as he waited for Yami to dry him, before slipping on his clean clothes and watching Yami as he went through the same process.

_#Err, Yugi?#_ Yugi started out of his stupor to find that his eyes had managed to wander down to Yami's groin, and was staring at it in a dreamy sort of way.

_#Oh! Sorry…couldn't help myself.#_ Yugi added, blushing slightly. _#You don't like me admiring your nature, then?#_

_#Yugi!#_ Yami gasped, a shocked look on his face.

_#What! I don't see the problem…#_ Yami sighed before putting his clothes on, hanging his towel on the rail.

_#Come on, aibou.#_ Yami walked over to Yugi and, seeing as Yugi was once again disabled from walking, picked him up and unlocked the bathroom door, before walking out and into the living room.

"Oh, at last! You two finished your little romp then?" Bakura asked, a wide grin on his face.

"Yes." Yami growled, before sitting down on he sofa next to him, Yugi on his lap. "Sorry…we took so long."

"Oh, don't worry about it, we heard everything." Seto said, a grim look on his face. Yami noticed Seto and Joey were sitting rather close to each other, and were holding hands.

"Yeah, Bakura kindly informed me of that…" Yami muttered, looking up at them. He found a load of confused faces staring back at him, though; how could Bakura have told him? He hadn't gone out of the room at any time…

"Uhh…" Bakura gulped, shooting a glance at Yami.

"I think we have a lot of explaining to do." Ryou said; he had remained quiet ever since he came back into the living room earlier on that day.

"Yes, we do. We hardly know what's going on ourselves." Yami stated, breathing out heavily.

And so they began to tell them everything that had happened over the past few days; even Yugi and Ryou discovered a few things that they didn't know had happened. Yami had to pause in telling them what happened when he expressed what it was like for him back in Egypt; Yugi had insisted upon 'comforting' him for five minutes or so because he felt so much anguish for him. He kept asking him over and over again 'why didn't you tell me!', before practically suffocating Yami with kisses and hugs.

After Yami and Bakura had explained everything, with Yugi and Ryou filling in a few gaps, they had managed to tell them everything that had happened over the last day or two. Everyone was silent; no one was sure how to react to their story.

"Uhh…well that's- interesting." Téa stated, feeling the need to break the silence.

"It's a bloody nightmare, more like." Bakura interjected, looking rather grumpy.

"Well, I have to say I think you've got yourselves into a _pretty big mess_." Tristan said, stressing the last few words.

"Oh yeah. I think we realised that already." Bakura sighed. He turned his head to stare out of the now darkening window, nighttime slowly descending on the world outside.

After Seto and Joey had told everyone their story, it was almost nine o' clock. By then, everyone was tired and confused, so they decided it was best if they went home.

"We'll be seeing you guys some time I suppose, then…" Téa said, turning around in the doorway with Tristan.

"Yeah. See you…" Yugi said, yawning. Joey and Seto waved goodbye before leaving as well, disappearing off into the night.

"We should get going, too…" Ryou said, turning to look at Yami and Yugi.

"I think we still need to talk." Yugi said.

"You look barely awake enough to do any kind of talking." Yami stated, rubbing Yugi's cheek with his thumb.

"But he's right, you know…" Ryou said, looking sadly at him.

"Well, maybe we should leave it till tomorrow then. I don't think I can stand up for much longer…" Bakura said groggily, rubbing his eyes to keep himself awake.

"Okay then. Well, I'll call you tomorrow so we can sort this mess out."

"'Kay. Call you tomorrow. Bye." Bakura turned around and began to walk away from the Game shop, Ryou holding his hand.

"Come on then, Yugi…" and with that, Yugi and Yami walked in back through the doors, locking them behind him…

* * *

I stare as I watch the two white-haired boys walk out of the shop, holding hands and waving good-bye to the other boys standing in the shop. Oh, how fun this is going to be…

"I'll take him first…" I say, watching the smaller and more innocent boy walk past me on the other side of the road. "The others will come in soon enough…" I walk back into the darkness, laughing darkly to myself as I think of the things that will happen. "How fun…"

* * *

Luff: ARGH! Who is that hiding in the bush? What is he going to do to them? Who knows!

Seto: Ah, you do.

Luff: Oh. Yeah. He he! What fun…!

Joey: You weird.

Luff: Hmm. I'm very weird. Or am I?

Yami: Dun dun dun! You worked it out!

Luff: Shut it, you. Why don't you go and have some fun with Yugi?

Yami: Oh yeah, good idea! #Cups hands around mouth# Oh Yuuuuuuugiiiiiiiiiiiiiii? Yami needs some loving…

Luff: Hey, you're copying that Virgin advert! (I don't own Virgin. : ) )

Yami: Oh well.

Yugi: YAMI!

Yami: Err…YUGI!

Luff: Okay, I think I'm going to leave those two-

Yugi: YAMI!

Luff: Shouting each other's name. 0.o;? Meh. Don't forget to review people! And tell me if you want the lemon.


	10. Otherside

Note: I'm so sorry I haven't updated for ages! Thanks go to **Yugi and Mai** and **Sapphire Wings 09, **I'm very grateful!

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: Just to stop confusion, Malik is the **Yami**, and Marik is the **Hikari**. Got that?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_" Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**: This story contains bad language, so if you get offended easily please don't read. There is also a lemon in this chapter, so if you want it email me!

* * *

**Episode 10 - Otherside**

As soon as Ryou got home that evening, he went straight to their bedroom and laid down on his bed, not even bothering to take his clothes off before getting in.

"Oh, I'm sooo tired…" Ryou groaned, closing his eyes.

"Ooh…" Ryou looked up to see Bakura standing in the doorway, a look of longing on his face.

"Oh, are you SURE Bakura? Maybe we should leave it till tomorrow…" Ryou sighed, letting his head fall back down against the pillows.

"But I don't want to leave it till then…" Ryou heard footsteps walking over to him before hearing them stop.

"Bakura…" Ryou groaned, but already Bakura was on top of him, making himself comfortable.

"Oh come on…why not? I'll do all the work…" Bakura tempted, running his tongue up Ryou's cheek. Ryou shuddered before looking at him, a look of weariness on his face.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Ryou said, smiling.

"Is that a yes, then?" Bakura looked at him hopefully.

"Oh, how can I refuse…" Ryou replied, relaxing into the bed. "And no funny stuff either, please. I'm too tired for games…" Bakura grinned at him before setting to work on Ryou's shirt, unbuttoning it quickly from plenty of experience.

# # # (As always no sex scenes allowed, so tell me if you want it.)

He collapsed on top of Ryou, completely exhausted, as Ryou continued to shudder underneath him. In no time at all Ryou fell asleep, worn out from all the anxiety and pressure he had felt that day. Bakura sighed, before pulling out the bed covers from underneath him and covering them both with it, holding Ryou close to him as he gradually calmed down.

"I love you…" Bakura whispered, rubbing his lover's sleeping face. Ryou looked so peaceful; Bakura could almost imagine a pair of angel wings sprouting out of his back, folded neatly over his body. He let the image stay with him, gently falling into sleep, his little angel tucked safely in his arms.

* * *

"Mister Pegasus, sir; our preparations for plan 'kets-eki' are complete."

I sigh mentally as I turn around to face the goon who dared disturb my peace and quiet: Croquet. What a surprise. I should have disposed of him long ago, he is too much of an annoyance.

But, instead of showing that I am my angerry, I just smile and nod my head.

"Very well…send for 'him'. I wish to speak to him about our bargain…"

"As you wish, sir." Croquet bows his head before walking out, quietly shutting the door behind him. I am completely alone now, so I can contemplate my plan, 'kets-eki', without being disturbed. At least for a while.

I have been watching Yugi and his friends for a few months now, and have been angered by what I have seen. The little twerps have fallen in love; but unlike normal people, they love the same sex as themselves! And even worse with Yugi and that stupid white-haired rat, Ryou, they have fallen in love with THEMSELVES! And that Seto Kaiba, I still haven't managed to take control of his company, KaibaCorp., and now he's in love with that brainless twat Joey! This, of course, is just part of the reason why I have brought in this plan 'kets-eki'. Although it was a few years ago now, I am still angry with Yugi for defeating me in the Duelist Kingdom; but that was not nearly so bad as when Bakura, as he now calls himself, took my Millennium Eye right after my defeat. I have it back now, but…I still want to punish him for doing it. And what better time then to do it now? They've all fallen in love, so I'm going to break their stupid little hearts…by taking away from them what they care about the most!

I laugh as I look out of the window, watching the setting sun beyond the horizon.

"What simple-minded fools they are…well, they'll soon know what real pain feels like. And when they do, they'll wish they had never been born!"

(Sorry if the sudden change to first-person view is confusing you, but it's just easier to do it like this.)

* * *

Yami woke up and stared blankly at the empty space beside him, wondering where Yugi had gone. He sat up, checking the clock beside the bed. Seven-thirty. What was Yugi doing up so early?

"Yugi?" Yami called quietly, standing up and looking around. _#Yugi?#_

_#Yeeeees?#_ Came the reply, sounding happy and contented.

_#What are you doing up so early? It's only seven-thirty…#_ Yami walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs, before spotting Yugi sitting in the kitchen. He was sitting on one of the stools at the table, cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.

_#I couldn't sleep.#_ Despite this, Yugi looked cheerful enough, although extremely tired. "You don't have to stay up, you know. You can go back to bed." Yami shook his head, smiling.

"I'm not the kind of person who can get back to sleep after they've woken up…" Yami walked over to him and hugged him, kissing his forehead. "Anyway, good morning." Yugi put down his mug and book, before turning around on the stool, slinging his arms around Yami's neck.

"Good morning to you, too…" Yugi pulled him down closer to him before kissing him on the lips, holding him in this show of affection. Yami sat down on the stool and pulled Yugi onto his lap, before cupping Yugi's face in his hand. He ran his thumb down Yugi's neck, tickling it gently as he explored it with his tongue. "Yami…" Yugi leant back slightly so that could Yami could run his tongue down his chest, undoing the buttons of Yugi's night shirt and pulling the sides apart. Yugi shivered with excitement as Yami started teasing Yugi's nipples, nipping them as gently as he could. Yugi arched slightly as a moan escaped past his lips, gripping tightly onto Yami's nightshirt.

"Eh-hem." Yugi gasped as he heard someone coughing at the door, and turned with horror when he saw that it was Grandpa. It took a little longer for Yami to realise, but he did not react so much as Yugi.

"Oh…" He looked apologetically at him, gently tugging together Yugi's nightshirt at the same time. "Sorry…ohayougood morning."

"Good morning, boys. Don't worry about it, you two. I'd much rather see you two happy together than see you stare longingly at each other from opposite sides of the table. You have no idea how annoying that is…" Yami sighed with relief. He held tightly onto Yugi as he watched Grandpa making himself a quick sandwich and a drink, and consumeding them as quickly as possible. "Anyway, I'll be off now you two, but I'll be back later. Bye!"

"Goodbye." Yugi and Yami chorused, and remained silent until they heard the front door shut.

"Oh God…I thought he was going to kill us." Yugi said with relief.

"Hmm…" HeYami loosened his arms so Yugi could slide off his lap and turn around, before picking him up and pulling him back up. Yugi once again picked lifted up his mug and book, before immersing himself in the textreading it closely. "What are you reading?" Yami asked, peering curiously over Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi flipped the book so Yami could see the cover. It had a picture of a compass -like thing on the front, with different symbols going around the edge of it. It had four needles; three short-ish ones and one, long thin one. It had three dials around it, two on the sides and one on the top and sides of it, and behind this image there was a picture of the aurora, with mountains and endless amounts of ice.

"'Northern Lights'…?" Yami said slowly, carefully studying the cover of the book.

"Yeah…it's very interesting. You should read it."

"It's a bit thick…" This put Yami off a bit; although he could read, he still wasn't very good at it, that being the reason why he actually bothered going to school in the first place.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Once you're better at reading, you can try this. Mind you, you'll have to improve by a lot; there's stuff in here even I can't understand…" Yugi wrinkled his nose, before turning the book back over and starting to read it again. When Yugi turned the page, Yami decided to see how fast he was compared to him; so he starting reading it, but found he could only get halfway down the first page before Yugi had once again turned the page.

"You read too fast…" Yami grumbled, and so contented himself with kissing the back of Yugi's neck. Yugi appeared not to be taking any notice of him though, so he carefully slid Yugi off his lap and stood up to make himself some breakfast.

* * *

Half an hour later Yami came down the stairs and into the kitchen, now changed and washed. He sighed, though, when he saw that Yugi was still sitting on the stool in front of the table, deeply absorbed in his book. He was about to walk in when he heard Yugi gasp in horror, eyes wide with shock.

"Yugi? What's wrong?" Yami asked, immediately concerned as he rushed to Yugi's side.

"What?" Yugi said, jumping at the sound of his name. He soon realised what it was, though, and smiled. "Oh, sorry, it's just something that happened in the book…" Yami sighed from exasperation and relief as he plonked down in stool opposite Yugi's, burying his face in his arms.

"What's the time?" Yugi heard him mumble, not bothering to look for himself.

"Eight-thirty." Yugi answered promptly, checking the clock on the wall.

"Oh! Damn stupid time and its slowness…" Yami growled, banging his head on the table. "Ow…stupid table." Yugi rolled his eyes, placing his bookmark in his book.

"I'm going up to get changed." Yami made some noise of acknowledgement, raising his hand to rub at his forehead. Yugi sighed, before making his way up the stairs and into their bedroom, grabbing some clothes and going to the bathroom.

He was about to walk in when a sharp, stabbing sensation jolted through his body; gasping, Yugi dropped everything he was carrying and ran downstairs, just as he saw Yami stride out of the kitchen.

"Did you feel that? Shadow powers are being used…" Yami growled, snapping his head from left to right as he tried to sense where it was coming forrom. "We need to find out where."

"Wait, I'll be down in a minute, I just need to get changed." Yami nodded his head and watched as he saw Yugi racing back up the stairs, and come back down a minute later, fully clothed and washed.

He skidded to a halt in front of Yami, hurriedly shoving his shoes on. Once this was done, he looked back at him properly, only to find that the young Pharaoh's face looked troubled.

"What is it, Yami? What's wrong?" Yami frowned, shaking his head.

"I can't sense anything…it just disappeared as soon as I tried to find out where it was coming from." Yugi walked up to Yami and pressed himself up to him.

"Maybe we would be stronger if we became one…and besides, I still can't walk properly." Yami smiled a secretiveheepish grin before activating his Puzzle, and in no time at all he had disappeared, with only Yugi left standing in the hallway.

_#Are you ready, then?#_ Yami's voice filled Yugi's head. Yugi nodded.

_#Yeah, hold on. We should call Ryou and Bakura first.#_

_#They should already know. Use your mind link with Ryou and talk to him.# _Yugi did as he was told, opening up his link with Ryou.

_#Ryou! Are you there?#_

_#Yugi!#_ Ryou's voice came in clear in Yugi's mind, which meant that he must have been close by.

_#Did you feel it? Shadow magic?#_

_#Yes.#_

_#Where are you?#_

_#I'm just about to go into the Game shop. Are you still upstairs?#_

_#Yes! I'm coming down. Wait there.#_ Yugi shut off the link and practically hurled himself out of the door, running as fast as he could down the stairs.

"Yugi!" Grandpa said with surprise as Yugi raced past him, ducking under the counter and going out of the door. "What was that all about?" He murmured, before shrugging and returning to tending to the customers.

Ryou was standing outside, waiting impatiently for Yugi as he crashed out of the doors of the shop, panting heavily. He raised and eyebrow and sighed, Yugi trying to catch his breath.

"What's…the matter…with you?" Yugi gasped, standing up properly so he could see him. It appeared that Ryou had the same idea as Yugi, and had fused himself with Bakura. That would explain the irritated attitude.

"No time to explain." Bakura snapped; he clearly seemed distressed about something. Yugi felt himself fading slightly as Yami took over control, obviously concerned for the Tomb rRobber.

"You can't find it?" Yami asked, placing a hand on Bakura's shoulder. He shook his head.

"Not just that, though…I don't know what it was…" Bakura paused, before shaking his head again and sighing. "Doesn't matter. So, what can we do? We've nothing to find…" Bakura turned to look behind him, as if expecting to see someone watching them, but he saw nothing.

"I know, but we should at least look around. I know that wherever it was coming from, it was somewhere near here."

"Hmm…" But Bakura seemed distant; he still had the feeling of being watched.

"Look, we can talk while we're walking, but have to find some sort of clue." Yami had no idea why he felt so concerned about Shadow powers being used; perhaps it was because there had a been a strange absence of it over the last year, and it's sudden reappearance was surprising. "Come on…" Yami took Bakura's arm and started to pull him along the path.

* * *

"Huh…simple-minded fools." I say as I watch the Pharaoh and Tomb robber walk down the path, arm in arm. I creep out from behind the bush that I'm hiding in, and follow them slowly.

I feel some dread for what I have to do, but I have to do it…if I want to save both Marik and myself from Pegasus' insane clutches. If he didn't have his Millennium Item then I wouldn't even have to do this, but I don't have much of a choice under the circumstances.

I slow down as they walk around a corner so they don't see me following. The Tomb Robber certainly has a better idea of what's going on than that Pharaoh- at least he knows that someone is following them…but he has no idea that it's me! And that's what'll make it better for me…

* * *

"Yami…" Bakura said as they rounded a corner.

"Yes? Something wrong?" Yami asked. Bakura nodded.

"We're being followed…" he whispered. He didn't dare look back, although he didn't know why; he just felt it would trigger something to happen, something that may put their lives in danger. "Please don't look!" Bakura begged, dragging Yami faster down the road.

"Hey, slow down!" Yami gasped, trying to wrench his hand form Bakura's grasp.

"No!" Bakura tugged harder on Yami's hand and ran down the road, forcing Yami to run too; and then he heard it. Apart from Bakura's and his own, he could hear another set of footsteps chasing them down the road.

_#You're right!#_

_#Of course I'm bloody right! Do you think I would lie!#_

_#Yes…#_ Yami muttered, but did not slow his pace as their steps eventually led them to the park. _#Huh…the park. It's the centre of all things.#_

_#What?#_ They slowed down upon entering it, noticing that the park was relatively empty.

_#Doesn't matter.#_ Yami strained his ears to hear for the person that was chasing him, but could hear nothing. _#Have they gone?#_

_#No.#_ Bakura was frowning as he continued to walk, looking at the ground.

_#Who could be following you?#_ Yugi asked, sounding worried.

_#I don't know…would be useful if I did know-#_

_#YAMI! BEHIND YOU!#_ Yugi screeched, but it was too late- Yami yelled as he felt an arm secure itself around his neck, and something cold and sharp pierce the skin in his arm.

"What the FUCK!" Bakura shouted as he whirled around, but stopped dead as he saw who it was that had caught Yami. "Malik…"

"Oh, who's a clever Bakura then?" Malik sniggered, digging the Millennium Rod's dagger further into Yami's arm. "Bet you're surprised to see me, aren't you?"

"I thought you got sent to the Shadow Realm?" Bakura growled, taking a step closer to him.

"So did you. You came back…and so did I."

"Let him go…" Bakura whispered, his scowl deepening.

"What's the matter, Bakura? I thought we were partners…"

"We WERE partners…not any more."

"Aww, you're spoiling my fun…there used to be a time when you would give anything to see this Bakafoolish Pharaoh in agony…" Bakura lunged at him, forcing him to release his grip on Yami.

"You keep your fucking mouth shut!" Bakura screamed, wrapping both his hands around Malik's neck and strangling him.

"Bakura…don't!" He heard Yami cough out behind him.

_#Why should I, Yami? He hurt you…#_

_#That's not the point! Please, Bakura…#_ Bakura sighed, loosening his grip around Malik's neck but not letting go.

_#Let him go…#_

_#Are you crazy, Yami? No way! I'm not-#_

_#I said-#_ "LET HIM GO!" Bakura felt Yami's arms curl around his and yank him away from Malik, Bakura falling over backwards on top of him.

"What are you doing!" Bakura turned to look at Yami and immediately saw what was wrong; Yami was being mind-controlled. "Oh Ra…" Bakura whispered, fear suddenly gripping him.

"Oh Ra indeed…" Malik laughed manically as he knelt in front of Yami and Bakura on the ground, the Rod in his hand starting to glow purple as he tightened his control over Yami. "Now…show me the little one, Pharaoh…where is he hiding?"

_#Bakura!#_ Yami's muffled voice came into his mind, sounding desperate and hurt. _#You must- stop him!#_ Bakura felt Yami shudder underneath him as he said this, Malik's mind control over him waning.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Show me Yugi!"

Yami screamed as Yugi appeared next to him; it felt like part of his soul was being ripped away from him, splitting him in two.

"YUGI!" Yami cried, struggling as best he could against the mind control.

"Yami!" But before Yugi could reach him Malik had grabbed him by the waist, dragging him away from them as fast as possible.

"NOOOOO! DON'T! YUGI!" Tears were streaming down Yami's face as he finally managed to shake off Malik's mind control, his whole body glowing a furious red as he ran to catch up with him.

Yami seemed to fly over the ground, crashing into Malik with as much force as possible to knock him to the ground. Yami grabbed Malik's arms and pulled them tight around his back, yanking him up into a sitting position.

# (Little flashback)

_"I promise, Yugi, that no matter what happens, I will never let you go…"_

#(End of little flashback. Wow, that was short, wasn't it?)

"I will never let you go…" Yami muttered under his breath, his fury overwhelming him as a golden Eye of Ra appeared on his forehead. "You will pay…you will stay in the Shadow Realm, and shall NEVER come back…"

"No…please, I have my reasons! Please, just listen to me! You can do whatever you like to me afterwards, you don't even have to let me go, just please listen to what I have to say!" Malik cried out, finishing his sentence quickly before Yami could get rid of him.

"Why should I trust you? You've never-" Yami started, but was quickly cut off by Malik.

"Yes yes, I know! But I'm being serious! Please…" Yami growled, before loosening his grip to allow Malik to sit up properly.

"What have you got to say for yourself?" Yami asked in a deadly voice as Yugi walked round them and huddled up next to him, putting his arms around Yami's neck. _#Are you alright, Aibou?#_ Yami asked, leaning back and kissing Yugi's cheek.

_#Yes…#_ Yugi returned the kiss, before leaning his head on Yami's shoulder.

_#That's okay, then.#_

_#But what about you?#_ Yugi asked, indicating Yami's arm.

_#What?#_ Yami looked down to see nothing but blood covering his arm, the red liquid still gushing out of his arm. _#Oh well. I'll live.# _Yugi hugged Yami even tighter, kissing his neck and cheek from love and sadness. Yugi whimpered slightly, but apart from that made no other noise. _#Don't worry, Yugi…#_ Yami whispered, before turning back to Malik and Bakura, who was sitting in front of Malik. Malik had remained silent, knowing that Yami and Yugi were speaking to each other, but as soon as Yami stopped Malik started with his explanation.

"It's…Pegasus…"

"Pegasus?" Bakura asked, frowning. "What's he got to do-"

"Shush! Don't…Pegasus will hear…we mustn't talk here…"

"Well we haven't got anywhere else to talk." Yami pulled Malik's arm to show he was being serious. "Now, tell us. What's it got to do with Pegasus?"

"I can't tell you here…I will tell you, but not here. Let's just say…Marik's life is at stake."

"Marik?"

"You two got separated, then?" Malik nodded his head.

"I haven't seen him…for months…please, you must help me!"

"Months? Why, where is Pegasus keeping him?" Malik shook his head; he refused to say any more.

"I've told you I can't say here…meet me later…"

"Where?" Yami asked, letting go of Malik's arms. Malik stood up, shaking his arms to loosen them a bit.

"I'll be round the back of the Game shop. Be there, midnight." And with that, Malik fled out of the park, leaving a trail of confusion behind him.

"Midnight? Why so late?" Yami asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, we'll find out won't we?" Ryou said as he appeared next to Bakura. "Are you two alright?" He asked, kneeling in front of Yami and Yugi.

"I'm fine, but I'm not so sure about Yami…" Yugi took some tissues out of his pocket (don't ask me why he has tissues with him) and placed them over Yami's wound, Yami wincing slightly. "Come on, let's go home and get you cleaned up…" Yami let himself be pulled up by Yugi and Bakura, walking slowly as they left the park.

Not a word was said between them as they travelled to the Game shop, Yugi and Ryou walking behind Yami and Bakura. Well, not openly anyway; plenty was being said between them inside their minds, and their conversation was growing more and more heated by the minute.

_#What is Pegasus doing to them? It's clear that whatever it is-#_

_#Yugi, for the moment it is no concern of ours-#_

_#Yes it is! It has to be if he wanted me…but what for?#_

_#Maybe…he needs you because Pegasus promised Malik something in return for getting you…perhaps Marik?#_

_#Yes, that probably was it. But that still doesn't explain why Pegasus wants you…#_

_#And knowing him, it's probably something bad.#_

_#Great…#_

_#Well, I'm not going to let him take you Yugi, no matter what the consequences.#_

_#Yami! You don't know what it is! Maybe it might be worth doing, for his sake.#_

_#No Yugi. As your protector I am not going to put your life in danger, and giving you to Malik will do just that.#_

_#But you said you'd never go against my wishes, Yami! What happened to that promise? If it is my wish-#_

_#This is different, Yugi. You mean too much to me to lose you. I won't let you go. Never.#_

_#Yami! You can be such a bloody…oh, I don't know! Just-#_ Yugi sighed with fury.

_#Yami…maybe he's right this time…#_ Ryou said. Because of his links with Yugi and Bakura, they had managed to use a sort of works-all-ways communication link, making it possible for him to talk with Yami and for Yugi to talk to Bakura. (Oh, how convenient : ) )

_#I don't care…#_ They heard him growl slightly, but he did not turn to look at any of them.

_#Oh, I'm sick and tired of being treated like a bloody child, Yami! You can't control my life and I won't let you!#_ Yugi shouted, before storming ahead of them, knocking into Yami as he walked past him.

_#You've done it this time…#_ Ryou muttered, before running to catch up with Yugi.

_#Oh, why do I keep doing this, Bakura? Am I being too over-protective of him? But I can't help it…I don't want to have to face the despair of being without him, he means everything to me!#_

_#Well Yami, some things in life you just have to let go of…even Yugi.# Bakura sighed._

_#It's just that I'm worried, Bakura! What happens if Yugi dies? It will be my fault; even if he died while I was trying to save him…I have to protect him. I got him into this mess with the Millennium Items, so I have to keep him safe…even if it means that I die. Mind you, he'll probably think of that as an advantage more than anything else…# _

_#Oh Yami…you really are hopeless.#_ Bakura turned to look at Yami, and almost cried when he saw the look of despair on his face. _#Come here…#_ He said, before pulling Yami toward him and holding him tightly. _#Stop putting yourself down all the time, it's not good for you.#_

_#I don't care about what's good for me…only what's good for Yugi.#_

_#Well maybe you should start thinking about yourself! I hate to see you fall apart like this, it's so…annoying! Please Yami…#_ Yami started slightly as he felt Bakura's lips press against his cheek, turning so that he could see him; but before Yami could reply, Bakura was kissing his lips, pushing his tongue into the young Pharaoh's mouth.

_#Bakura…#_ Yami moaned as Bakura continued to explore his mouth, leaning in closer to him to deepen their kiss. _#Why are you doing this for me…?#_

_#Because I want you to start feeling good about yourself…and what better time to start then now?#_ Bakura gently pushed Yami back so that he was leaning against the wall of a building, slipping a hand up his shirt. _#Do you want this?#_ He asked, letting his hand rove around Yami's nipples. Yami moaned with pleasure, his legs feeling like they were turning into lead. _#I'll take that as a yes, then…#_ Bakura took his hand out from Yami's shirt and pulled back from their kiss, smiling. Yami looked at him, confused.

_#But…#_

_#What, you really want to do this in the middle of the street?#_ His smile widened when he saw the look of embarrassment on Yami's face. _#Come on, then…#_ Bakura took Yami's hand and started pulling him down the path, squeezing it tightly. _#And besides, you're still bleeding…#_ The pain in Yami's arm was becoming more noticeable, and he was looking paler than what was good for him. _#Are you sure you're alright?# _Yami shook his head.

_#No…nothing's all right…#_

_#Yami, you're doing it again.#_

_#Doing what?#_

_#Stop being depressed.#_

_#Can't help it.#_

_#Yes, you can. Ra, I hope you don't…#_ Bakura stopped, as if saying the rest of his sentence would trigger something bad; but the words lingered in Bakura's mind, easy for Yami to pick up.

_#Hope I don't turn to…?#_ Yami gave him a strange look. _#Don't even think about it…#_

_#I'm afraid I already have done, Yami.#_ He stopped and stood in front of him, a pleading look on his face. _#Please don't, Yami. And don't say it's not possible, because you know very well it is.#_

_#I know… Well, I'll try. Satisfied?#_ Bakura sighed.

_#No, but it will have to do.#_

By then they had reached the Game shop, but Yugi and Ryou were nowhere to be seen.

_#Where-#_

_#They're inside, Yami.#_ Bakura soothed, letting Yami lean on him as he grew weaker and weaker.

They got plenty of stares from the people inside the shop as they walked in, Grandpa lifting up the counter so that they could walk through. They heard several people gasp as they saw Yami's arm, but Yami couldn't care less; he just wanted to see Yugi.

"Who was that? I thought your Grandson already went upstairs…" One lady asked, looking up after them.

"That's not my Grandson…trust me, it's too difficult to explain. And telling even you might put all of their lives in danger…"

* * *

Luff: And so, Episode 10 is now finished. Wow, that was relatively quick compared to all the other episodes.

Yugi: Hmm.

Seto: And once again, you forgot to include us.

Luff: Yes, I had realised that. Anyway, something you need to know: what Yami and Bakura were talking about (you know, the 'I hope you don't turn to…' etc.). Well, just don't start guessing what is meant by it. (S. Chensu: I'm her older sister and she won't even tell me! I want to know now!) That will come in later. Maybe much later. But don't forget they had that conversation, it will be important! And-

Yami: What she is TRYING to say is thank you for reading, and she will be very grateful if you clicked on the little button at the bottom and submitted a review for this story…

Luff: Yes, THANK YOU Yami.

Yami: That's quite all right.

Luff: Blurgh…well, do as the Pharaoh says.

Yami: Humph.

Luff: You're not still, depressed, are you?

Yami: She's going now! Say bye bye to all your lovely readers #grabs Luff's hand and waves it around#

Luff: Get OFF! Right, yes please review! And until next time, bye bye!


	11. Midnight

**PLEASE PLEASE READ MY AUTHORS NOTES! THEY ARE IMPORTANT! And short.**

Luff: Right, there's something I forgot to tell you last chapter: what 'kets-eki' means. It is Japanese, and it means 'blood'. Lovely. And I also forgot to say that I don't own Northern Lights.

Thanks go to **Yugi and Mai **and **Rowena Raven** for reviewing my last chapter! And Rowena you didn't ask for the deleted scenes…do you want them? If so please tell me.

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: Just to stop confusion, Malik is the **Yami**, and Marik is the **Hikari**. Got that? 

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**: This story contains bad language, so if you get offended easily please don't read. There is also a **lemon** in this chapter, so if you want it **email** me!

* * *

**Episode 11 - Midnight**

_#Yugi, are you alright?#_ Ryou asked as he caught up with him, breathing heavily.

_#Why does Yami think that I always have to do what HE says? He's so fucking annoying!# _Ryou was shocked to hear Yugi swear against Yami, but then again Ryou was not surprised by the fact he was mad with him; Yami had been a bit too over-protective of him, and now that Yugi was sixteen he probably didn't appreciate it so much as he used to.

_#Yugi, he just doesn't want you to get hurt…he's worried that if you end up dying or something he won't have done what he's supposed to do, and that's to protect you from getting hurt.#_

_#Well, screw him then. This is going too far. He's suffocating me, Ryou, I can't breathe! I can't depend on him for the rest of my life, I have to take care of myself.#_ Ryou could feel his anger flow out of him like a bad aura, infecting Yugi's mind and thoughts.

_#Oh, Yugi…#_ It didn't take long for them to reach the Game shop, and they gained surprised looks from every person in there as Yugi stormed in and ducked under the counter, Ryou following close behind.

_#Hey, hey! Slow down…#_ Ryou said once they were upstairs, catching Yugi around the waist and holding him tightly. _#Stop rushing around everywhere…#_ He turned Yugi around in his arms and held him still, pushing him gently up against the wall.

"Humph."

"Don't you 'humph' me! I'm trying to help you. Now wipe that frown off your face…" Ryou whispered, before leaning forward and licking Yugi's cheek. Yugi sighed, relaxing as he allowed Ryou to continue. _#Oh, I really want to…#_ Ryou groaned, slipping his hand down Yugi's trousers and rubbing his groin.

"Ryou…" (Oh, here we go again…I bet you're all thinking that, aren't you?) Yugi whispered, trying his best to not moan too loudly as he clung tightly on to Ryou's neck. _#You want to…what…?#_

_#Come with me and I'll show you…#_ Ryou then half carried Yugi into the bathroom, closing and locking the door before pulling Yugi down onto the floor.

_#Hurry…#_ Yugi moaned desperately as Ryou took off Yugi's trousers, revealing his already hard member.

* * *

(Um, this isn't really a sex scene, but it comes close enough.)

* * *

Ryou sat up and pulled Yugi towards him, cradling him in his arms as Yugi relaxed and closed his eyes.

_#Are you okay, Yugi?#_ Yugi nodded his head, reaching up and licking Ryou's neck.

_#Stay with me…#_ Yugi leaned closer to him, allowing himself to drift off while he and Ryou sat there on the floor.

Ryou quickly did up Yugi's trousers again and leaned against the wall with Yugi in his lap, waiting for Yami and Bakura to return.

_#Ryou, where are you?#_ Bakura's voice asked, rousing Ryou from his temporary stupor.

_#We're at Yugi's house, upstairs.#_

_#Right.#_ A few minutes later Ryou heard the door open and close, footsteps growing louder and fading again as Yami and Bakura walked into the kitchen_. #Where are you?#_

Ryou heard more footsteps come towards the bathroom and stop in front of the door, and then Bakura's soft voice.

"Are you in here?" Ryou reached up and unlocked the door, before quickly sitting down again and holding Yugi tightly to him. Bakura walked in and smiled gently, kneeling down in front of them and moving his head round so he could see Yugi's face. "What did you do?" He asked, gently stroking Yugi's face with a finger. Ryou cast his gaze towards the floor, unsure of how to answer his question. Yugi opened an eye and stared groggily at Bakura.

"Oh." Yugi closed his eye again and appeared to be going back to sleep, before both his eyes shot open and he gasped in horror. "Oh!" He tried to jump off Ryou's lap, only to be pulled back down again by arms around his waist. "I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey! Calm down. I won't get mad at you." Yugi sat resolutely back down again, now staring at him with uncertainty. "Just tell me what you did, and I promise I won't get mad…"

"Yeah, but Yami will…" Yugi said, looking somewhat distraught.

"Don't worry about that…come on, you might as well tell me what you did. I know you did SOMETHING, so there's no point in hiding it." Bakura was whispering now so that Yami wouldn't hear, but was speaking quickly as well. Ryou sighed whilst Yugi remained to look disconcerted.

"Uhh…I…"

"Come on, you don't have to be embarrassed. It can't be anything worse then what you've done with me, surely?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Well, go on then!"

"Sorry! I kinda…" _#Gave him a blow job…#_ Ryou squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his face burning.

"There, that wasn't so hard was it? Well, it probably WAS hard…" Bakura said, nodding slightly towards Yugi's groin.

"Bakura."

"Yeeeeeeeees?" Bakura grinned.

"You are disgusting. You do know that, don't you?"

"Yeeeeeeeeees. Me is knowing that."

"Good. Right." Ryou turned his attention back to Yugi, who was now looking completely frightened.

"Uh…I, go to…Yami." Yugi said quickly, before jumping up and rushing out of the bathroom.

Yugi ran into the kitchen and walked towards Yami, who was sitting slumped at the table, his damaged arm dangling by his side.

"Yami…" Yugi walked around him and stuck his face in front of Yami's, whose eyes were staring into space. Yami's eyes slowly focused on Yugi, blinking a few times before speaking.

"Yugi…you're…alright…" He was breathing heavily; Yami still had not done anything about his arm, and although the blood was not streaming out like it was, it was still bleeding at an alarming rate.

"Why haven't you done anything about this?" Yugi asked in an annoyed voice, pointing to Yami's arm.

"No…point…"

"Oh for goodness sake, you can be so bloody stubborn sometimes…" Yugi grabbed a clean tea towel from the cupboard under the sink before soaking it in water, wringing it out when it was thoroughly drenched. "Why are you always getting yourself hurt? You're like an accident waiting to happen…" Yugi felt Yami stiffen when he said this, and immediately knew that it was not a good thing to have said. Yugi wrapped the tea towel loosely around Yami's arm and walked around him again. He bent down so that he was looking up into Yami's face, and saw that he was crying. But they weren't tears of pain, they were tears of true sadness and guilt, which was something Yugi had seen too much of recently.

"I'm sorry…if you think I'm being too…over protective, Yugi. It would be better for you…if I just went." Yami quickly darted his hand forward with surprising quickness and grabbed the Puzzle from around Yugi's neck, before springing up and staggering away across the kitchen. "I won't be in your way…any more." He raised his arm up, and it was then that Yugi realised what he was going to do.

"NO! DON'T!" Yugi screamed, running to Yami as fast he could; he could see his arm swinging downwards, oh why couldn't he run faster? "NO……" The Puzzle was nearing the ground now, slowly, slowly, it came ever closer to its destruction…

"NO!" Yugi saw something flash before him and before he knew what was happening, Bakura was wrestling Yami to floor, Yami saved from being broken.

"Yami what were you thinking!" Yugi cried, falling to his knees in front of them with a disbelieving look on his face. He quickly took the Puzzle back from Yami's trembling hand and put it back around his neck, before pulling Yami into a tight embrace. "Why? Why?" Yugi sobbed into Yami's shoulder, who was barely comprehending what was going on. He just sat in Yugi's arms, vaguely aware of the fact that he was crying too. "I don't think I can bear this for much longer…" Yugi whispered. "It's too much…" Yugi looked up at Ryou and Bakura, who were kneeling down in front of him. They knew perfectly well what he meant.

"I know…we have to sort this out." Yugi tightened his grip on Yami, unwilling to let him go. Bakura looked at him sadly. "Hey, don't worry…" Bakura reached his hand out and wiped away Yugi's tears, before cupping his face and stroking his cheek delicately. Yugi stared at him through half-open eyes, unconsciously loosening his grip slightly on Yami. "Come on…" Yugi nodded before standing up, supporting Yami as they walked slowly back over to the table. Yugi sat down and pulled Yami onto his lap, hugging him tightly around his middle as he rested his head on Yami's shoulder.

Ryou walked over to one of the cabinets and opened it at Yugi's instruction, finding their first aid kit box and other assortments of medical equipment stacked neatly inside. He walked back over to them and placed bandages and cleaning swabs on the table, using one of them to wipe up the wound on Yami's arm. Yugi felt Yami tense as his arm was sprayed with antiseptic spray, Ryou sighing and shaking his head slightly.

"There, all done." Ryou said a few minutes later, standing back a bit as he looked at Yami's now bandaged arm.

"Thank you, Ryou…" Ryou smiled happily at Yami, before walking over to the bin and throwing away the empty packets.

"That's okay, Yami." He turned around after just having washed his hands to find that Yami and Yugi were now passionately kissing on the stool, holding onto each other as if for dear life.

_#So sweet…#_ Bakura said, walking over to stand next to Ryou.

_#Yeah…they're so happy when they're together.#_ They continued to watch Yugi and Yami on their stool, hugging each other all the while.

_#So you definitely love him, then? No second thoughts?#_ Bakura asked suddenly, turning to face Ryou.

_#Yes…but I don't think I love him in the same way that I love you. What about you and Yami though? Do you love him?#_

_#Yes, I do. And I love you too. I always will.#_ Bakura leant forward and kissed Ryou's soft lips, but instead of pushing his tongue roughly into his mouth, he gently caressed Ryou's lips with his tongue. He kept going for a long time, but when he finally stopped Ryou whined pitifully.

_#You've never kissed me like that before…#_ Ryou whispered softly.

_#Didn't you like it?#_ Bakura asked, looking worried.

_#It was a compliment, Bakura…#_ Ryou said, giggling.

_#Oh…that's all right, then.#_ They turned to find Yugi and Yami were now watching them, smiling. They stood up, walking towards the entrance of the kitchen.

"Will you two be joining us?" Yami asked.

"Joining you where?" They smiled again before walking over to them, Yami taking Bakura's hand and Yugi taking Ryou's, leading them out of the kitchen.

"Joining us here…" Yugi said, just as they reached their bedroom.

"Uh…" Ryou and Bakura looked uncertainly at them, throwing nervous glances at each other.

"Come on…why not?" Yugi tempted, tugging on Ryou's arm slightly.

"Well…"

"Don't worry about it, Ryou." Bakura said softly. Ryou sighed and nodded, allowing himself to be coaxed into their room.

"What are you planning on doing?" He asked, as he sat down on Yugi's bed. Yugi climbed onto his lap and started to kiss him fervently, shocking Ryou into submission.

_#Have a guess…# _

_#I don't think I need to now.#_ Ryou fell backwards onto the bed, pulling Yugi down on top of him.

_#Well, those two look happy enough…#_ Bakura stated as Ryou and Yugi started to take their clothes off, getting even more exaggerated in their movements.

_#Yeah…but are you happy with it?#_ Bakura turned to Yami, smiling and nodding.

* * *

(Guess what? Email me for the deleted scene!)

* * *

An hour later Yugi woke up and wriggled his way out from underneath all the bodies that were lying on top of him fast asleep, before putting some clothes on and going down stairs.

_#Five o'clock…oh, great…#_ Yugi groaned as he checked the clock, before making himself a drink and some toast and sitting slumped at the table. He was completely exhausted still, and nearly chocked on his drink as he drank it a little too quickly, accidentally spraying the table with it. He sighed as he vaguely wiped the table dry again with some kitchen paper, not even bothering to throw it away as sat back down at the table again. He almost cried as he heard someone trudging down the stairs, burying his face in his arms so he didn't have to see who it was.

"Good evening, good morning, good night, good afternoon, good whateverthefuckitis." Bakura grumbled, sitting down on a stool and banging his head on the table. "OWEE…Ra, I always do that…" Bakura's muffled voice growled.

"Huh." Yugi grunted. "Bad mood?"

"Yup. Always am when I wake up after having sex. You?"

"Yeah." Yugi lifted his head up a bit so that he could have some of his drink, before letting it fall back onto the table with a thud. "Oww…" Yugi looked over to Bakura to find he was staring at him with unfocused eyes, still half asleep. "You can have…something to drink, you know." Yugi said in the middle of a huge yawn, pointing to one of the cupboards on the wall.

"Thanks." Bakura mumbled, getting up and opening it, grabbing one of the glasses and walking to the sink to fill it with water.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah…"

"There's bread and spreads and stuff over there…" Yugi said, now pointing to the bread bin, which was next to the toaster.

"Thanks again." Yugi groaned before closing his eyes, feeling himself drift off as sleep once more over took his brain.

Bakura looked worriedly at Yugi as he started talking in his sleep, muttering occasional words like "talky toaster…", "cheese…biscuits…rule the world…yummy…biscuits…", and "mmmmm…fostrums…"; eventually Bakura had to wake him up when he started saying "Yummy fostrums…kill yummy fostrums! FOSTRUMS!"

"Yugi!"

"Yah wah…?" Yugi said, jolting upright in seat.

"What the hell are fostrums!" Bakura almost yelled, getting slightly hysterical.

"I dunno. Am I supposed to know?"

"Yes! You kept saying 'kill yummy fostrums'!"

"I was asleep."

"Yes I know that! You were talking in your sleep!" Yugi burst out laughing at this.

"Don't be stupid! I don't talk in my sleep!"

"Well you do now! You were saying something about cheese and biscuits taking over the world."

"Quite. You must still be dozy, Bakura." Bakura sat down in his seat, throwing up his arms in defeat.

"Fine! Believe what you wonna believe. But I hardly think that you saying 'talky toaster' classifies as-"

"NO! Don't mention talky toaster!" Yugi yelled, jumping up and singing loudly. "LALALA! BAD TALKY TOASTER! LALALALALALALALA!"

"What…?" Bakura frowned, before sighing and shaking his head. _#Yami! You awake yet?#_

_#Whasa? Who's that?#_ Yami answered groggily.

_#It's Bakura, Yami.#_

_#Ohhh…#_

_#What's up with Yugi and 'talky toaster?'#_

_#'Talky toaster'? Ohh…it's something Yugi watched when he was younger. Gave him nightmares, apparently.#_

_#Oh, right.#_

_#Why?#_

_#He just fell asleep at the table and started saying weird things. Something about cheese, biscuits, ruling the world and yummy fostrums. Oh, and talky toaster.#_

_#Huh.#_

_#You coming down any time soon?#_

_#I dunno. I'll go down when Ryou wakes…oh Camel balls.#_

_#What's Camel balls?#_

_#Ryou just woke up.#_

_#Well ha ha to you then. Come on, get up you lazy arse. It's almost six o'clock.#_

_#Go away…#_ Yami cut the link off at that point, so Bakura went back to eating his toast while he waited for Yami and Ryou to come down. He found great amusement in the cries of annoyance that were ringing down the stairs, earning him weird looks from Yugi.

"Yugi! Kury!" Ryou cried happily as he bounced into the kitchen, first hugging Bakura and then practically suffocating Yugi as he jumped behind him and squeezed him tightly, laughing all the while.

"Ryou, get off!" Yugi choked out, pushing Ryou off of him.

"Ooh, is Yugi in a bad mood?" Ryou said in babyish voice, refusing to let go of him. "Why is Yugi in a bad mood then?"

"Because…" Yugi groaned, banging his head lightly on Ryou's chest.

"Naughty Yugi's trying to hurt himself!"

"Oh please…" Ryou turned Yugi around on his stool and it was then that Yugi noticed that Ryou was just acting like that to annoy them, and was laughing his head off at the expression on Yugi's face. "Do you ALWAYS do that?"

"No! I just felt like it today."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you don't EVER do it at all." Bakura mumbled, who had his face buried in his hands.

"Oh, you two are so miserable! I'll see if Yami wants to have some fun, then." Ryou pouted and walked out of the kitchen, but not before Yugi had shouted at him,

"I don't think that's a good idea!" However, his warning came a little too late as he heard a yell of surprise and a crash echo from the top of the stairs. They then heard Ryou giggling madly, so Yugi and Bakura went to the stairs to investigate what had happened.

"What's going on?" Yugi asked, walking up the stairs with Bakura behind him.

"Come take a look…" Ryou giggled, pointing to Yami underneath him. He shifted aside so that Yugi could see him, hiding his face in the carpet.

"Yugi."

"Umm…yeah?" Yugi said, covering his mouth with his hand to stop himself from laughing.

"You do realise you're wearing my shirt, don't you?" Yugi burst out laughing, no longer able to control himself.

"You look so stupid!" Yugi gasped, falling to his knees on the stairs. Because Yugi had been half asleep, he had picked up Yami's shirt instead of his own, and he now only realised how big it was on him.

"Can I have my top back now?" Yami looked uncomfortable with Yugi's tighter shirt on, and no sooner had he said this did he take it off, causing Yugi to swoon at his feet.

"You shouldn't have taken it off!" Bakura laughed as Yugi jumped on top of Yami, attacking his chest with various bites and licks, unable to resist the temptation.

"Yugi, get off!"

_#Well, Bakura was right you know!# _Yugi said, relentlessly attaching himself to Yami's chest.

"Yugi…please get off me." Yugi hung on stubbornly, shaking his head as best he could without letting go.

"Well, I did say…" Bakura sighed.

"Yes, I had realised that, thank you. Yugi. Please get off. If you're good I might do something for you later on." Yami said, in attempt to get rid of him.

_#You might?#_ He asked suspiciously, raising his eyes so he that he could see Yami properly.

"Fine then, I will."

_#Promise?#_

"Yes…"

_#Say it! Say you promise!#_

"Fine then! I promise I will screw you nice and hard later on, will you please just let go of me!"

"Okay!" Yugi jumped up, allowing Yami to stand and half fall, half walk down the stairs. "Did you want your shirt back?"

"What?" Yami stopped at the bottom and turned to look at back at them, before blushing and holding out Yugi's shirt to him. "Sorry." Yugi just smiled, walking down to him and taking his shirt off at the same time. He seemed to be taking his time as well, plucking it off of his spikes and letting it slide down his arm until it reached the tip of his fingers before gripping it loosely to stop it from dragging on the floor.

Yugi held it to him on the end of his finger, watching him as Yami took it and handed over Yugi's shirt to him.

"Thank you…" Yugi launched himself at Yami's lips, clinging onto him as Yami slid his arms around his waist.

_#Err, you two…you might want to stop…#_ Bakura's worried voice said.

_#Why?# _Yami frowned and pulled Yugi closer to him, annoyed that they were being disturbed.

"Hello boys." Yugi gasped and jumped away from Yami, looking with fear at his Grandpa as he held his shirt to his chest. "Now, I don't mind you doing that sort of thing, but please keep it to your bedroom. I'm sure there are some people who would not want to see it…" Grandpa said, smiling kindly at them.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa!"

"Uh-huh. But Yami…" Grandpa turned to Yami, who was looking totally shocked. "I hope that when you 'screw Yugi nice and hard', that you do it while I am nowhere in the vicinity of where YOU are." Yugi moaned in distress and fell into Yami's arms, burying his face in his shoulder. He felt totally humiliated, and although Yami didn't show it, he was too.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Anyway, hello to you, Ryou and Bakura. I hope you'll forgive my rudeness for not saying it sooner, but obviously…" Grandpa gestured to Yugi and Yami, who were holding tightly onto each other and hiding their faces.

"Err, yeah…hello." Ryou said, just as Grandpa walked into the kitchen.

_#Wow. I'm totally amazed that your Grandpa didn't start shouting his head off at you.#_ Bakura said, stunned.

_#Yeah well, it's just as well that he didn't.#_ Yugi muttered, still burning with embarrassment.

_#Oh, cheer up Yugi…#_ Ryou said as Yugi and Yami pulled their t-shirts on. _#Come on, I don't know about you, but I'm starving.#_

_#Yes! Food!# _Bakura shouted joyfully, bouncing around until he was forced into the kitchen by Yami and Ryou.

_#Not in a bad mood any more then…#_ Yugi thought to himself bitterly, before following the others in as well.

* * *

"Malik? Malik!" Yami called softly, creeping around the back of the Game store. It was midnight, and Yugi, Yami, Ryou and Bakura had turned up like they had promised Malik. But as of yet there was no sign of him; it was too dark to see anything, and they were making too much noise to be able to hear if anybody else was there. "Malik!"

"ARGH!" Yugi yelled as he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders spin him around, and gasped when he saw it was Malik.

"It's just me." He let go of Yugi, who then ran over to Yami to be held in his loving, protective embrace.

"It's okay Yugi…sshh…" Yami looked angrily at Malik. "Did you have to scare him like that?"

Malik moved forward into a pool of light, and they gasped when they saw tears streaming down his face.

"Malik! What's wrong?" Bakura asked, taking a step towards him.

"Pegasus…" Malik whispered, before falling to his knees.

"What about Pegasus? What has he done Malik? And where's Marik?" Bakura knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Pegasus…he took Marik away from me…I haven't seen him for months…" They listened in awe and horror as Malik continued with his explanation, not daring to move in case some sort of invisible evil might see them. "I can't even feel him any more…he has nothing to protect him. Please, you must help me!" He lurched forward, only to be caught in Bakura's arms and held tightly. Malik sobbed into his shoulder, as if seeking his own protection in Bakura's comforting arms. "Help me…"

"It's okay Malik…we'll help you…" Bakura whispered.

_#Bakura, are you sure? Who knows what we have to do to help him?#_

_#Well we should at least try and help him, Yami!#_ Bakura snapped back, before turning his attention back to Malik. "What do we have to do?"

"You should already know that…I need…" He nodded towards Yugi and Ryou. He got up suddenly and turned away from them, as if alerted by something. "I have to go."

"What?" Bakura stood up too. "Why?" Malik looked at him before walking quickly out of the alley.

"Have a guess…" He whispered angrily, before disappearing around the corner.

"Well, we really gained a lot out of that." Yami muttered.

"Yes, we did actually." Ryou said angrily. Yami raised an eyebrow. "We now know that not only does he need Yugi, but he needs me as well. That Pegasus has taken Marik and however he has split his connection with Malik, he can do it to us too. Don't take this so lightly."

"I'm not taking this lightly." Yami growled, walking out of the alley. "If you think I want Yugi taken from me, you are very much mistaken. You'd better stay the night with us, you two. Malik could be anywhere, and it would be making it easy for him if you walked by yourselves in the dead of night in the open." Bakura sighed resolutely before following Yami and Yugi out of the alley, leaving Ryou to walk by himself. He turned his mind to recent events, walking slowly after them.

_#Why does this have to be so complicated? I hate it. This is so fucking stupid…it's too much…I don't even know what to feel anymore. Who do I love? Why do I love them?# _Ryou shook his head angrily, he couldn't even think straight anymore. _#Maybe I'm just tired…#_ He reached the side door and walked in, before closing it and walking swiftly up the stairs.

* * *

Luff: Great, finished. #Yawn# I'm sooo tired.

Yugi: #Snore#

Luff: Well it looks as if everyone has fallen asleep. Sorry if I over did it on the whole sex thing, but I tried to finish it as quickly as possible! Honest! And I apologise for the crappiness and shortness of the last scene, but I was rapidly running out of inspiration. Anyway, like always, please R&R and hopefully I'll see you all next chapter! Bye bye!


	12. Tearjerker

Thank you very much to **DarkFaerieLirael**, **zoe**, **Rowena Raven** and **Yugi and Mai** for reviewing my last chapter!

**DarkFaerieLirae**l: I would put lemons in this fic but I don't want to risk it, seeing as that's the reason why my fanfic got chucked off in the first place. Anyway, did you get the lemons? I sent them…please say in your review! There aren't any in this chapter though…well, thanks for the review!

**zoe**: here'sthe update! And I hope you got the lemons okay…

**Rowena raven**: Thanks for reviewing me again! Yes, more plot is going to be revealed in this chapter! Yeah, I know you can put edited lemons in, but I think it's simpler to just email it to people…and then they won't have an excuse to get me chucked off again! Well anyways here is the chapter, and tell me when you DO want the lemons!

**Yugi and Mai**: Thanks as always! I will send you the lemons at some point…

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**: This story contains bad language, so if you get offended easily please don't read.

* * *

**Episode 12 – Tearjerker**

Joey groaned and sat up, rubbing his forehead vigorously. He and Seto had had a 'rough' time the night before, and his tiredness had made him forget where he was for a moment. He looked down and smiled upon his sleeping lover, who was breathing quietly by his side. He laid back down again and wrapped his arms around Seto, causing the older boy to wake up.

"Morning, love…" Seto yawned, pulling Joey gently closer to him in an embrace. Joey leant forward and kissed Seto lovingly, stroking his face with a finger.

"Morning…" Joey sighed happily as he allowed himself to be kissed back, settling back down into the bed.

"Sleep well…?" Seto asked. Joey smiled.

"Well, after last night, I don't think I could have stayed awake for more than a minute. I can't believe how good you are…"

"I'm glad you liked it." Seto smiled slyly. He pecked Joey on the cheek, before climbing out of bed. "Come on, get up."

"Seto, it's only eleven thirty. And it's the summer holidays." Joey said, hiding his face in a pillow.

"Well you can stay here then. But I'm hungry, so I'm going to have some brunch."

"It's breakfast time, not brunch time, Seto. It's not brunch till one, as far as I'm concerned." Joey looked up at Seto from his position on the bed, grinning slightly as he saw that Seto was completely naked still. It faded though when Seto put his shirt on, causing Joey to moan with annoyance. "Why are you putting clothes on? You look better when you're not covered up…"

"That kind of behaviour, Mr Wheeler, is for night time only."

"Oh…" Seto turned and smiled at a disappointed looking Joey, bending down and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss.

"Come on, Joey." Seto took the edge of the duvet on flung it off Joey, laughing as Joey madly tried to grab it back from him.

"Seto! Alright alright, I'm up!" Joey cried, springing to his feet before Seto could drag him up.

"Good boy." Seto hit Joey gently on his rear, causing him to yelp slightly as he jumped away from him. Joey growled as he watched Seto, who was now smirking, walk out of the room.

"I'll get you for that, Seto!" Joey called after him, before grabbing his clothes and stuffing them on hurriedly. He ran out of the room and down the stairs, crashing into Seto at the bottom.

"Argh! Watch where you're going, Joey!" Seto yelled, waving his arms to gain his balance. However, it was to no avail as he crashed to the floor with Joey following close behind. "Umph! Ow."

"Sorry…" Joey stood up to let Seto up, Seto rubbing the back of his head. He muttered something incoherent in reply, before walking haphazardly to the kitchen. Joey followed him in, sliding his arms around Seto's waist and kissing his ear. "Are you okay?" Joey continued to nuzzle Seto's ear and neck, holding him in a firm embrace.

"Yes, I'm okay." Seto smiled as Joey started to lick his neck, enjoying the gentle tickling sensation that was shooting up and down his spine.

"Good…now, food!" Joey abruptly pulled away from Seto and started to raid the cabinets, finding anything he could that was edible. He turned and caught Seto's exasperated look, and smiled innocently at him. "What? I'm hungry…"

"Yeah, I figured." Seto walked towards him and started to take some things out of the cupboard, before setting them out on the table. "So…did you want to do anything today, Joey?"

"Uh…I'm not sure. We could always go and see a film if there's anything interesting on." Joey said thoughtfully.

"Hmm…" They sat in silence for a while, each surrounded by their own thoughts. "Let's go to the park." Seto said suddenly, standing up from his stool.

"Well, I dunno…we went to the park yesterday." Joey said, considering the idea.

"We're going to the park. Now." Joey frowned at Seto as he walked over to him and grabbed his arm, stumbling as Seto pulled him off his stool.

"Hey, watch it! Can't I-" But Joey never managed to finish his sentence as Seto pulled him out of the kitchen, his grip tightening all the while. "OW! Seto let go of my bloody arm!" Joey yelled as he dragged him towards the door. "Wait!" Seto stopped outside the door as Joey roughly pulled his arm away from him. "Can't I even put my shoes on!"

"Yes. Quickly." Joey looked at him strangely before stuffing his shoes on, never taking his eyes off of him. "Let's go." Seto slammed the door shut before yanking Joey along again, not once looking back at him.

"Seto! Why do we have to go to the park!"

"Silence!" Joey gawped at him for a minute, his heart hurting from his harsh words. After that he let himself be dragged along, not caring as he felt depression wash over him.

_#What has gotten into him? Is he doing this himself, or is it someone else?# _Joey pondered over this, dread filling his mind as realisation dawned on him. _#Seto…please don't tell me…you're being controlled…#_ Joey stumbled forward as Seto jerked his arm, and only then noticed that they had already reached the park. _#That was way too quick for my liking…#_ He looked around Seto and thought he saw someone walking up ahead, but this was cut short as he soon found he could see nothing at all, his world falling into darkness… "SETO!"

* * *

Yami sighed as he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, blood spilling from the open wound on his arm. He was wondering why he did it; he didn't really have a reason to. He just felt like it. In a strange way he felt reassured by the pain, it kept him from wandering from reality. But if anyone else found out about what he was doing, they would be furious…especially-

"Yami! Hey, Yami! Are you in there?" Yugi asked through the bathroom door, making him jump and stub his toe on the toilet.

"OW! Stupid toilet…"

"Err, you okay in there? Do you need help with something?"

"Nooo…"

"Okay then…I'll…be downstairs…" Yami listened as Yugi's footsteps receded down the hallway, and faintly heard a door shut.

"That was close…" Yami filled the sink with water, before plunging his head into it to and rubbing his face with his hands. He then dried his face on a towel and emptied the sink of water, before turning to tending to his arm. It wasn't a deep cut; he had just scratched- well, more than scratched- it with a compass that he had got out of his pencil case. The compass was now lying beside the sink on a bit of toilet tissue, blood surrounding the tip. He frowned at it before rinsing it under the tap, watching as the water was briefly coloured pink before running clear again. He dried the compass on the hand towel before putting it back down and placing some wet tissue on his cut. He winced as the cold water started to seep into the wound, squinting at it through pained eyes. He hurriedly wiped it before dropping the tissue into the toilet, taking some clean tissue and then drying the cut. He looked it in the mirror and ran his finger down it, his face turning from a frown to a look of sadness. He tugged the sleeve of his t-shirt down so that it covered the cut, before making sure everything was clean and flushing the toilet and walking out of the bathroom, not forgetting to pick up the compass before leaving.

"What were you doing in there?" Yami gasped and jumped, turning to find a curious-looking Yugi staring up at him with his innocent amethyst eyes.

"Uhh…I was…" Yami said whilst stuffing the compass in his pocket.

"What is that?" Yugi asked, indicating Yami's pocket.

"It was…nothing. I'm…going." Yami wheeled around and rushed into the bedroom, not noticing the sleeve of his shirt riding up his arm. Not by much; but it was enough for Yugi to see what it was and make him frown with confusion.

"What was that…?" Yugi asked himself quietly, before shrugging and walking back down the stairs.

Yami listened as he heard Yugi walking away again, before groaning and falling onto his bed.

"Shit…that was too close." He reached down for his school bag and took out his pencil case, putting his compass into it before placing it back into his bag. He looked to his arm and saw that the sleeve had already moved up his arm, revealing the cut to the world. Yami sighed and rummaged through his drawer, deciding it would be better if he wore a top with longer sleeves.

After he had changed, he went downstairs to greet an assortment of moods coming from the occupants of the house: Yugi was frowning to himself on a stool, Bakura was looking like he was going explode with hyperness, Ryou was looking depressed, and Grandpa was smiling happily to himself as he walked past Yami and out of the door.

"Good morning Yami!" Grandpa said cheerfully, before walking out of the hall door.

"Morning…" Yami looked round to find Bakura bounding towards him, yelling as he landed on top of him and started hugging him tightly.

"YAMI!" He squealed, scattering kisses all over his face.

"Bakura…" Yami said, looking at him wearily.

"Huggy!" Bakura sealed his lips over Yami's and poked his tongue into his mouth, all the signs that he had had too much of something that morning.

"Bakura…what have you…had?" Yami said in between kisses, before giving in and letting Bakura swamp him with his affection.

"He's had too much coffee! And also he decided he would have pop tarts for breakfast…" Ryou muttered, but couldn't help smiling a little when he saw Bakura and Yami rolling around on the floor.

"Mhph mph…" Yami tried to speak, but found that Bakura was not so easy to push off.

"Bakura!" Ryou yelled, standing over the pair of them on the floor. Bakura jumped up and started the same treatment with Ryou, leaving Yami staring with wide eyes at the ceiling.

"Uh, you okay down there?" Yugi asked, grinning as Yami turned his popping eyes onto him. He moved his mouth in silent words of shock, looking as though he had no clue what had just happened to him. "Come on, up you get." Yugi leant down and pulled Yami up by his arm, half carrying him towards a stool. Yami sat down on it and held Yugi in his arms, Yugi leaning his head on Yami's shoulder.

_#Why?#_ Yugi asked, clenching a bit of Yami's shirt in his hand.

_#Why what?#_ Yami looked down at Yugi, but Yugi was not looking at him.

_#You know what I mean, Yami.#_ Yugi reached a hand up Yami's sleeve, running his finger along the cut on his arm. _#Why?#_ Yugi looked expectantly at him, not removing his fingers from the wound.

_#I…because I needed to.#_ Yugi smiled and shook his head, still not looking directly at Yami.

_#You don't need to…#_ Yugi moved his hand to the side of Yami's face, before leaning forward and kissing him gently and passionately. _#Because I'm here for you.# _Yami felt his eyes sting with tears as he clung tightly onto Yugi, love overwhelming his heart. _#Please don't do it again…I love you too much.#_ Yami felt suddenly angry with himself; he had no reason to do it. He had Yugi, and that was enough to keep him happy.

_#I'm sorry Yugi…#_

_#Don't feel bad about it. I need you Yami, now more than ever. Do you remember what you promised me?#_ Yugi started scattering kisses all over Yami's face as he waited for his answer.

_#Yes…#_

_#Good. I want you to keep that promise.#_ Yugi smiled as he turned around and sat himself on Yami's lap, leaning his head back so that it was resting against his shoulder.

_"I promise, Yugi, that no matter what happens, I will never let you go…" _

* * *

I watch with amusement as I see Kaiba desperately calling out Joey's name, finding it hard to control my laughter. What a dolt…he hasn't even realised what's happened yet. Well, face it Kaiba, you're never going to get your little Joey back!

With this thought in mind, I stand up and walk away from the scene, smirking because of Kaiba's insistent bawling. Ra if only I could shut him up…for good this time. He's so annoying. Like a little fly buzzing around your head…irritating, yes, but so easy to kill…

I quickly dodge behind a bush as I notice Kaiba coming in my direction, but it appears that he hasn't seen me because he goes straight past me and up the road.

"Run, run as fast as you can Seto…but try as you may, you will never escape me…"

* * *

After finding himself standing alone in the park, and with Joey nowhere in sight, Seto began to panic. He had run around for several minutes, worrying about what to do; but only one solution came to his mind.

_#I must find…Yugi…#_ As soon as this came to mind, he ran out of the park, and in a minute he had reached the Game store. He stormed in through the front doors and walked straight up to the desk, but when he spoke it was clear that he was only acting confident; he, for the most part, sounded completely scared.

"Please, I must speak with Yugi. Where is he?" He asked Grandpa urgently, placing a hand on the counter. Grandpa looked at him with surprise, before lifting up the counter and indicating the door.

"He's upstairs, Seto. I hope you have a good reason for doing this; I don't think they'll like being disturbed…"

"I don't have the time!" Seto walked through and yanked the door open, before shutting it and leaving behind a very shocked looking Grandpa.

_#What…?#_

Seto rushed up the stairs and stormed in through the next door and into the kitchen, to find a shocked Yugi, Yami, Ryou and Bakura staring back at him.

"Kaiba! What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, not moving himself from Yami's lap.

"It's Joey. I think he's in trouble."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Yugi looked a little more concerned now, walking over to Seto with Yami following close behind.

"I don't know! That's why I came here. I may need your help."

"Help?" Ryou said, surprised. They had all gathered around Seto, urging him to tell them more.

"What happened? Maybe we can work on it from there." Bakura suggested, pointing Seto to a stool. Seto nodded, glad that they had accepted his story as being true. He sat down, and proceeded to explain everything that had happened to him that morning.

"So…you were sitting in the kitchen, and the next thing you knew, you were standing alone in the park?" Yami paused for a moment. "Didn't you think of going back home?" Kaiba thought for a moment, before shaking his head.

"No. I'm sure something's happened to him. I mean, why would I suddenly end up in the park without even remembering it?" He looked sternly at them, but at the same time pleadingly; all he wanted to know was where Joey was.

"Well, I suppose we can help…"

"If you ask me, I'd say Malik might have been behind this…" Ryou said. They all looked at him, considering what he had said. "Well, let's look at the facts. Malik has the power to mind control people, doesn't he? And he wanted us…so there is no saying he didn't want Joey, either."

"Yeah, but WHY would he want him? It just doesn't make any sense."

"Well, maybe we should just have a look around then… maybe we'll see something." Yugi suggested. He looked back at Yami, who appeared to be deep in thought. A few moments later he looked at Yugi and smiled sadly, before nodding his head.

"Yes…let's go." Seto watched with a spite of jealousy as Yugi and Yami walked out of the room together, hand-in-hand and leaning on each other.

"Hey, come on." Bakura said, nodding his head towards the door. Seto sighed and walked after the two Yugi's, not sure if he was feeling at all hopeful or not. He just followed in a daze, not even looking up as he walked into the shop, with everyone in there staring at him as he walked out. He just didn't know what he would do if Joey really _HAD _gone, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Seto, don't look so depressed. You don't know if Joey's been taken or not." Ryou said softly, only just loud enough for Seto to hear. He grunted, not looking back or making any other noise of acknowledgement. Ryou sighed with annoyance, before slowing down to walk with Bakura. "He just doesn't know how to cheer up, does he?"

"Hmm…" Bakura reached out and grabbed Ryou's hand, feeling calmed as he squeezed his hand in response.

Seto looked back and saw Ryou and Bakura holding hands, and felt even more irritated. Where was Joey? He begged and pleaded to the Gods that he was still alright…

* * *

Joey opened his eyes. Well, he was sure he had opened his eyes; only for the fact that it was pitch-dark, and he couldn't actually see anything. He felt around with his hands and found that he was lying on some kind of ground, and that it was dry, but cool. He sat up and tried to see if there was any light source at all, but he could still see nothing.

"HELLO!" Joey shouted, hearing his voice echo around him in the distance. _#I must be in some sort of cave…#_ He thought, as he tried to stand up. He felt above him as he did so, to make sure he wouldn't hit his head on anything, but there didn't appear to be a ceiling. "HELLOO! CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME!"

For a few moments there was silence, but then he began to feel a rumbling sensation beneath his feet; he could hear cracking, as if the ground was splitting apart. And as he looked, he could see little beams, and then big pillars of light rising up from the ground. He looked up and realised that he couldn't see any kind of roof, it was still black above.

He yelled as a crack opened up beneath him, and jumped out of the way as it spread in front and behind him, and looking down he saw that the source of the light appeared to be fire.

"FIRE!" Joey ran as soon as he realised this, but it soon became impossible as he found himself cornered onto a skinny bit of rock. "I'm gonna die… I'm gonna die…" Joey repeated to himself, as the rock he was standing on began to rise up from the ground just as the rest of the land disappeared into bubbling fire. He closed his eyes as he felt the effects of vertigo set in, and knelt down as the rock rose even faster. He noticed the heat from the lava was lessening, and looked up to find that he could now see some sort of sky, well if it could be called that; it was swirling dark blue and purple, so subtle that Joey was not surprised he couldn't see it from the ground.

"Joey…" Joey yelled and jumped up, to find a shadowy figure floating in front of him.

"Wh-who are you?" Joey asked, backing away as far as he could without falling off the edge of the rock.

"That isn't important. Welcome to my game…Mr Wheeler."

* * *

Luff: ARGH! What's going to happen now people? I tried to make it exciting, but I dunno if it is.

S. Chensu: Hello people, I just randomly decided to come in and say hi. Anyway, it will be really cool but she won't tell me what exactly happens. I have however managed to get out of her who the person is. And it isn't who you suspect it is.

Luff: Thank you for telling them that. Now I'm sorry this is really late, but I had a few problems trying to write it.

S. Chensu: No, she just couldn't be bothered to. She's been too busy playing Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy.

Luff: Yeah, because you told me to! Nasty person… Anyway, time to go. Oh, and thank you to all of my reviewers too! Please review again!

(Yeah I know that note didn't really make sense as this update isn't really late, but that's what I wrote when I first put this story up…)


	13. Dosed

**Note: **Thank you very much to my reviewers, although I can't remember who it was…we usually copy all the reviews into a word document and sort them out for which review was submitted for which chapter, but of course we had to get a new hard drive…but according to **Rowena Raven** was the only reviewer for my last chapter…thank you anyway! This chapter is incredibly short I know, so great apologies!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**: This story contains bad language, so if you get offended easily please don't read.

* * *

**Episode 13 - Dosed**

A shadowy figure sat in the corner of a darkened room, head lowered and body slouched. They had been like that for what seemed like months; never stirring, never talking; just silent. But on this day, there was going to be change. Whether this change was for good or for worse, one can only guess…

XxX

The figure stirred and sat up, looking around its confined cell. Its eyes were dull and shadowed, nothing like the beautiful, sparkling lavender colour they used to be. Its hair was messy and in disarray, in need of a good wash. Everything about its features was distorted and dirty.

A thought passed through the figure's mind; just the trace of a nameless face, and yet somehow it seemed…familiar to them. They tried to remember some sort of name, some kind of recognition… but in the end it all came to nothing.

The figure sat for a few more minutes before trying to stand. It was clear that they had not done this for ages, though, for as soon as it got up, it staggered and fell. This did not deter it though; it got up again, and soon it was walking around as if they had always been able to walk.

"Where am I?" Its voice was horse, barely a whisper; but in the deafening silence it was loud and clear, ringing like a bell down the nearby chambers and hallways. The figure watched as a torch outside its cell flickered and blew out, and the same for the next one and all the ones it could see, until it was surrounded by complete and utter darkness. No noise was heard, no movement was made; what seemed like hours passed, but never did the figure move from its position. It just watched and waited.

And then, from nowhere, a bright and brilliant light shone in front of them, blinding anything that stared into it; but the figure never moved, its features now clearer to the eye. It wore black trousers and a lilac top, both of which were torn and dusty.

"I have come for you now…" A voice penetrated the air, filling the place with noise; it was hard to describe what it sounded like. It was low and bellowing, it was old and feeble, it was young and happy, and it was high-pitched and squeaky. But when you did try to define it, it didn't sound like anything…just an echo of a voice, like a distant memory…perhaps one that was about to be realised.

The cell door bust open, and through that the light poured in, and bore the figure away into its brightness…

* * *

"Here we are." Yami announced as he stepped into the park for what seemed like the billionth time. Seto walked up beside him and stared around in the hopes that he might spot Joey running towards them, but he saw nothing. He sighed, lowering his head in defeat.

"He's not here. He's gone, I knew it."

"Don't give up so easily, Seto." Yugi said, taking a step towards him. "We'll find Joey, don't worry."

"Yeah, sure we will…" Seto muttered, before continuing to walk.

"What do you think has happened to Joey?" Ryou asked Bakura, watching as Yugi and Yami followed Seto.

"I don't know…but I don't think we're alone here." Ryou looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"There's someone else here…"

"Are you sure?" Ryou frowned and looked around, as if expecting to see someone following them.

"Yes. Let's keep moving." Bakura grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him along, trying to shake off the feeling of being stalked.

"Shouldn't we try to do something, then?"

"No. Pretend we don't know they're there."

"Okay…"

XxX

_#Yami…#_

_#Yes, Aibou?#_

_#Do you feel like we're being followed?#_

_#No…#_

_#Are you sure?# _Yami looked down at Yugi, who was walking by his side, and saw that he was looking at him with fear in his eyes.

_#Don't worry Yugi, I won't let anyone hurt you.#_

_#'Kay…#_ Yugi smiled at him, intertwining his fingers into Yami's and clasping his hand. _#Promise me you won't leave me, Yami.#_

_#I already have.#_

_#Promise me again. Please…#_

_#I promise I'll never leave you, Yugi.#_

_#Thank you…# _Yami looked curiously down at Yugi, estranged by his behaviour. Yugi was no longer smiling, but instead was looking scared and intimidated.

_#Yugi, are you sure you're alright?# _Yugi shook his head.

_#No…I'm frightened.#_ Yami frowned and stopped, watching as Yugi turned and flung his arms around his neck.

"What's going on!" Seto called back, scowling at Yami and Yugi hugging each other.

"Yugi thinks we're being followed."

"So do I." They turned to see Ryou and Bakura arriving behind them, Bakura frowning with a thoughtful look on his face. "Don't you feel it Yami?"

"Yes…" Yami hadn't noticed it before, but it felt like there was a blanket of darkness trying to press itself around his soul, just like…

"Shadow powers." Bakura announced. "Someone with a Millennium Item is close by."

"Malik." Seto growled. Yami frowned, before turning around to see Malik standing behind them, leaning on a tree and smirking at them.

"Well hello there." Malik sneered, getting up and walking over to them. "Well, not that there's much point in me saying that."

"Why is that!" Seto spat, taking a step forwards.

"Patience, Mr Kaiba, or you'll end up in the same situation as your dear love Joey."

"What did you do to him!" Seto shouted. Malik smirked and closed his eyes.

"You'll soon find out. Right now, in fact…" Malik opened his eyes again and simpered at them, amused at how frightened some of them looked…especially Yugi. "I think I'll take him first…" Malik pointed the Rod towards Yugi and he began to glow, the eye on his forehead growing and brightening.

"No you won't…" Yami growled, his eyes seeming to grow to a blood-red colour as anger filled his mind. He tightened his grip on Yugi, never taking his eyes off Malik as he did so.

"Yami, Yami, Yami…" Malik tutted, smiling with amusement as Yami's Puzzle began to glow. "When will you learn? Your efforts are useless…" And with that a brilliant flash issued form his Rod, causing all of them to cover their faces with their hands. When the light finally died down, they uncovered their eyes and looked in shock as they saw that Yugi was nowhere to be seen.

"YUGI!" Yami screamed, turning his furious eyes onto Malik. "Oh, you have crossed the LINE this time." Yami whispered, body shaking with rage. He hadn't even managed to keep his promise to Yugi; so easily, it had been broken.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it, Pharaoh. You'll be joining him soon."

"And why it that, _Malik_?"

"Huh, you'll see." He moved the Rod straight out in front of him, and with another flash they disappeared into darkness…

* * *

"Mister Pegasus, sir. Malik is reporting back from his mission." Croquet's voice resounded around the virtually empty room, echoing off the bare walls. Pegasus turned around and nodded, before watching Croquet back out of the room and stand aside to let in a very tired-looking Malik.

"At last, Malik. I assume you have god news to tell me? Because you know what will happen if you don't…"

"Yes, Pegasus, I have done what you wished for." Malik shuddered as Pegasus began to laugh, a cold and heartless laugh of someone who was bent on revenge, as was the case.

"Very well, Malik. You may go." Malik growled before turning on his heel and leaving, hatred bubbling up inside him for the man that had caused him so much trouble. "Oh, and Malik…" Pegasus said just as he reached the door. "If I catch you consorting with the likes of Yugi again, I'll make sure that you'll wish you had never been born…is that clear?"

"Crystal." Malik muttered, walking out of the room. "Laugh all you can now, Pegasus, but soon you'll be as silent as the grave…"

* * *

Luff: Right, I'm stopping right here.

Seto: Well that was bloody short.

Luff: Oh ming ming ming.

S. Chensu: "You will accompany these fine gentlemen to the helm Sparrow and then spend the rest of the journey contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave'." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA #gets hysterical#

Luff: Oh, feck off! Anyway, hope you like this chapter, despite its shortness. It's a record five pages long, including a page long authors note at the beginning. Anyway, please read and review, and I'll see you all next chapter!

S. Chensu: F' it! Ft! #Laughs hysterically as Luff takes her away in her wheelchair and straight jacket#

(S. Chensu: Hello people, Luff doesn't know about this so it'll be our little secret. Mwhahaha! The power of my Millennium Ring will destroy them all!)


	14. Right on Time

Thank you very much to **Rowena Raven** and **Yugi and Mai** for reviewing my last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi does.

**Key**

_#Blah#_ Someone thinking, or talking to someone else through a mind link i.e. Yugi to Yami.

"_Blah_"Someone talking on the other side of a phone conversation, etc.

**Warning**: This story contains bad language, so if you get offended easily please don't read.

* * *

**Episode 14 – Right on Time **

Joey groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head, blinded by coloured light imprints on his eyes. He blinked for a few minutes, trying to get them to go away, before slowly standing up and gawking at his surroundings.

He was on what appeared to be a giant game board; what game it was, he couldn't tell, but he didn't have much time to ponder on this as a loud, booming voice echoed over his head.

"Welcome, Mr Wheeler, to the Game." Joey looked up to see a figure floating above him; he was big, with long flowing hair and a cloak billowing out behind him. He hovered down towards him, causing Joey to back away with caution.

"What do you want?" Joey said quickly, backing further still.

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you." The figure said without contempt. Joey looked behind him and saw that he was right on the edge of the board, and below him there was…nothing. It wasn't even blackness; it was indescribable. He looked further over the edge to try and get a better look, but didn't get very far when-

"RROOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!" Joey screamed and fell over backwards, banging his head on the ground.

"Aw, fuck it!" Joey growled, sitting up.

"Language, Mr Wheeler."

"What was that?" Joey asked, standing up and moving closer to the figure for fear of being eaten.

"It was a monster…a monster hungry for human flesh." Joey looked at him with wide eyes, fear pulsating through his veins. "Which brings us back to the point. This, Mr Wheeler, is the Game."

"Yeah, I figured…" Joey squinted up at the man's huge face, trying to discern some of his features; but not much was visible in the dim light of this large room. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kamu-Kaji, and I am the Game Master."

"Uh-huh. So, that still doesn't explain why the fuck I'm here." Though the figure's face was shadow by darkness, it was clear he was smiling with amusement. "Hey, this ain't funny! Now WHY AM I HERE!"

"Patience, Mr Wheeler; all will become clear…" The man moved aside to reveal a large die sitting behind him; it was your regular die, with six sides and different amounts of dots on each side. Joey looked up at him with confusion.

"So, what the hell am I supposed to do? Why am I even here?"

"Ah, all will become clear. Why you are here, that is…but the risks of these games are things that you will have to find out yourself." Kamu-Kaji turned around and picked up the die easily, before hurling it across the board and waiting for it to be still. When it was, it had landed on a five; and before Joey knew what was going on, he felt himself being jerked along the board by an invisible force tugging at the front of his shirt.

"ARGH!" Joey yelled as the force suddenly stopped, causing him to fall head over heels onto the ground with a crash. "Ow…" Joey definitely wasn't liking this. He got up on his knees and looked down to see a number imprinted on the ground beneath him: 5. "Hey, Kaju-Kami, or whatever your name is…" Joey turned around and looked at him questioningly.

"It's Kamu-Kaji."

"Yeah, whatever… What the hell is going on here!"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" He let out an amused chuckle, before walking in front of him. "This is a game." Joey remained nonplussed. "Stand and see for yourself." Joey did as he was told and to his horror he saw all sorts of strange things around him. And from the things he saw, he guessed it was…

"S-snakes and ladders?" Joey looked around and could now see the room was made up of a giant board, with REAL snakes and REAL ladders; they appeared to be standing up straight, but upon closer inspection they were lying flat, as if they were lifeless. "What kind of sick world is this?"

"Look at the square you are standing on…" Joey looked down just in time to see a picture that resembled a Duel Monster, before he saw no more…

* * *

"Yami…? Yami?" Yugi opened his eyes blearily and looked around, panic starting to seize his mind. "Help…" Tears began to swell up in his eyes as he desperately tried to find out where he was. He couldn't see much; the light was dim, and his eyes were watering too much for him to see anything anyway.

He felt his way around and found a corner, and as soon as he did he backed himself into it and sat down, drawing his legs up to his chest and crying into his knees. He had no idea where he was; he didn't even think the others knew where he was.

_#Yami…please say something…#_ Silence. #_Yami, please say something to me!# _But there came no answer. Yugi sobbed loudly before lying down on the floor, the feeling of true loneliness grasping at his heart. He held the Puzzle in his hands, the only thing that could keep him safe. He stared at it for a moment, before leaning forward and placing a small kiss on the surface. #_I love you, Yami…#_ Yugi closed his eyes and cried silently as he fell into a fitful sleep, Yami never leaving his thoughts.

* * *

"Come on, we have to find Yugi!" Yami shouted, walking away from the group.

"Wait!" Ryou shouted, running up and grabbing Yami's arm. "We don't even know where to begin looking! We can't split up!" Yami stopped and turned, but instead of greeting Ryou with a growl or even a frown, he had a look of the deepest sorrow and hurt on his face; he gasped and fell to his knees, tears spilling down his face.

"Oh God…" Seto muttered, turning around and sighing. He hated all of this mushy stuff.

"Have you no sympathy, Seto?" Ryou said angrily, before turning his attention back to Yami. "Hey, don't worry…we'll find him." Bakura and Ryou knelt by his sides and hugged him tightly, whispering words of comfort in his ears.

"Oh please, I thought you were supposed to be a PHARAOH, not this wimpy, worthless, weak-"

"Shut the FUCK up, Seto. We came here because we are trying to find Joey, because we had SYMPATHY for you! Now why can't you do the same? You're not the only one who's lost somebody they love!" Ryou spat at him, angry. "I always knew you were ignorant, Seto, but now would be a really good time for you to stop."

"Well, fine. Yami can cry all he wants, but you don't see me crying, do you? At least you know Yugi is SOMEWHERE near here; I don't have a clue where Joey is." Ryou sighed and looked guiltily at the ground; he knew Seto was right. Malik had said that they would be with Yugi, but he never said much about Joey.

"I'm sorry…" Yami whispered. They watched as he stood up and walked unsteadily away, leaning on the wall with his hand as he went. "We should go." He pushed past Seto without apparently acknowledging his existence, and continued on only his senses as he hopefully drew closer to Yugi's location.

_#Yugi…I hope you're safe…#_ Yami held the Puzzle tightly in his hand, afraid that if he let go it somehow meant that something bad would happen to Yugi. #_Please don't give up…#_

* * *

Malik growled with annoyance as he watched Marik being tied up onto a wall, arms and legs spread-eagled as his head hung uselessly forward. A spotlight was shining on him, and the rest of the room was hidden in darkness.

"I thought we had an agreement, Pegasus." Malik said angrily, turning to face the man standing behind him. Pegasus moved forward and chuckled, placing a hand on Malik's shoulder.

"We did, Malik. But, I was not entirely satisfied with your performance…" Malik pushed Pegasus' hand off his shoulder before backing away, looking at him with hatred.

"You said you would let him go if I did what you said! You've broken your promise!"

"Not…_entirely_. I did say that if you did something I didn't like, something would happen to your precious Marik…"

"You've done worse to him than this… And what did I do?"

"Huh." Pegasus smirked before turning on his heel and walking out, ignoring Malik's question.

"Tell me, Pegasus!" Malik shouted after him, feeling betrayed. He let out a cry of frustration as the door closed. Why wouldn't Pegasus tell him? He knew trying to talk to Yugi and the others was a bad idea, but he couldn't stand being treated like a puppet anymore. If only they knew…if only they knew how sorry he was…

* * *

"What? Where am I? What's happening now!" Joey said, completely baffled as the space around him was filled with colour and light. "WHAT'S GOING ON!" The walls of the room were made out of bare stone, and on these walls were brightly coloured pictures of various duel monsters, all executing some kind of attack on another monster.

"What have I gotta do? Hey, Kamu-Kaji guy! You there!"

"Yes." Joey gasped as he appeared right in front of him, landing on the middle of a lighted platform. "You recognise the layout of the board I'm standing on?" Joey walked forward, curious to see what he was talking about. In front of him, there was a table set out with Duel Monster equipment; mats, dice, coins, everything they would need.

"But why don't we just use Seto's Duel Disks? Wouldn't that be easier?"

"The rules set out for /this/ particular duel is to use the board provided."

"Fine. So, is there really any point in doing this? Are there any stakes?"

"Yes." Kamu-Kaji stood aside and revealed behind him something that made Joey yell with horror; there he saw, tied to the wall, was Marik; his head was leaning forward onto his chest, and appeared to be unconscious.

"MARIK! MARIK, YOU IN THERE!" But he didn't respond.

"He cannot hear you." Joey turned to Kamu-Kaji, his heart beating fast with anticipation.

"So…what will happen to him if I- if I lose?" He asked.

"He will die."

"WHAT! Oh, this is crazy, man…nuts…" Joey became disconcerted as he sat down at the stool that appeared in front of him, learning by the minute that it was probably better not to question anything. "Who…well/what/ am I duelling, then?" Joey felt ice plunging into his stomach as he watched Kamu-Kaji sit down opposite him, his breath catching in his throat. "Oh no…"

"You'll be duelling with me." Joey squeaked as he proceeded to take his deck out of his pocket, placing it with a shaking hand on the mat.

"This is nuts…this is nuts…" He whispered to himself as he watched Kamu-Kaji take his deck and shuffle it, at the same time passing his own deck to Joey. He obediently shuffled it before passing it back, taking his own deck and putting it down again.

"And so…let the duel begin." They shook hands, and drew their cards from the deck.

_#Well this is it…I'm done for…#_

* * *

Luff: And so we have the end of yet another chapter! Was that good, or was it crud? You tell me! I want opinions! Please R&R, and hopefully I'll see you next time! Bye! 


	15. My Friends

Hello! Just quick thank yous to my reviewers Yugi and Mai and Rowena Raven (I'm sorry about the chapter length, I can't make them longer though because I've already written them. I'm just re-posting now until I get to chapter 19. Sorry!)

* * *

**Episode 15 – My Friends**

Joey's hand shook as he drew his hand from the deck, examining each card as it came. 

_#Acid Trap Hole… Giant Soldier of Stone… Firewing Pegasus… Yami… and Skull Red Bird.# _Joey looked up. "So…who's going first?"

"Toss the coin."

"Okay…" Joey reached his hand forward and took one of the coins. "Okay, I'll be heads." Kamu-Kaji nodded, so Joey flipped the coin and waited with baited breath as he watched for the result. "It's…heads! Okay, I pick to go first."

"Fine." Joey reached forward and drew a card from his deck. _#Hmm… Giant Rat…#_ Joey put it in his hand before taking Acid Trap Hole and placing it face down on the field. "I place one card face down on the field." Joey announced, before turning back to his hand. "And…" he thought for a moment, before taking out Giant Rat from his hand and placing that on the field, too. "I place one monster in face down defence position (DEF: 1450), and now I end my turn." Kamu-Kaji nodded, before drawing a card from his own deck.

"I place Vorse Raider in attack position (ATK: 1900)! And now I attack your face down monster!" Joey gasped as a miniature Vorse Raider appeared on the mat and swiped it's sickle down on Joey's card. On top of it appeared his Giant Rat; but not for long, as it was soon destroyed and in the Graveyard.

"I activate Giant Rat's effect! It allows me to draw one earth-type monster from my deck with an attack power of fifteen hundred or less and place it on the field in face up attack position! And I choose…" Joey rifled through his deck until he found the one he wanted. "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (ATK: 1500)!" Kamu-Kaji nodded as Joey shuffled his deck.

"And now I shall place one card face down and end my turn."

"Right!" Joey drew a card from his deck and smiled. _#Ultimate Offering…this'll come in handy.#_ "I place one card face down!" He said, doing the stated thing with his 'Ultimate Offering' card. "And now I will tribute my Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts to summon my Firewing Pegasus (ATK: 2250)!" He placed his 'Gazelle' in the Graveyard and watched as a miniature Firewing Pegasus appeared in front of him, snorting and panting as it impatiently pawed the ground.

"And because of your summon I am able to activate this card!" Kamu-Kaji flipped his face down card face up, and revealed what it was. "I activate the Trap card Magic Thorn!" Joey cursed.

"Fine…now I will attack your Vorse Raider with My Firewing Pegasus!" Joey watched with a grin as the Vorse Raider made a strangled cry as the Firewing charged into it and knocked it clean off it's feet, shattering it into tiny pieces as Kamu-Kaji placed it in his Graveyard. "And now your Life Points are down to 7650!" Joey laughed at his victory. "Okay, your turn Kamu!"

Kamu drew his card and stared at it for a moment, before placing it in his hand and taking another out.

"I place one monster on the field in face-down defence position." Kamu did this, before continuing with his turn. "And now I activate this magic card, Tribute to the Doomed! It allows me to destroy one monster card on the field in return for discarding one card from my hand!"

"Oh _no_!" Joey watched in despair as his Firewing Pegasus was pulled down through the board by a giant hand, and soon it was no more. Kamu placed one card in the Graveyard.

"And now I end my turn."

"Great, you better get ready to get your butt kicked…" Joey drew his card, before sighing and placing it on the field. "I place one card face down, and then I summon one monster in face-down defence mode. And-" Joey grinned. "I activate my face down Trap card, Ultimate Offering! At the cost of 500 Life Points per monster, I'm allowed an extra set or summon this turn. And, because it's continuous, I can do it every turn!" He smirked. "And now using this card's effect I'll set an extra monster on the field!" He placed his Skull Red Bird on the field in face down defence position. "Now my Life Points stand at 7500. Your turn!" Kamu drew his card and smiled.

"Okay, Mr Wheeler… I activate this magic card, Card Destruction!" Joey sighed as he placed the only card in his hand in the Graveyard, which was Yami, and drew one card from the deck. _#Hmm, Man-Eater Bug…this'll come in handy too!#_ He watched as Kamu discarded his cards and drew new ones.

"But before you're gonna do anything else, I'll activate my Trap Card, Acid Trap Hole! And I'll use it to destroy your face-down card…" Kamu flipped the card over to reveal none other then the Man-Eater Bug. Joey cursed.

"I think I'll use the Man-Eater Bug's effect to destroy that face down card there…" Joey cursed again as he flipped the card face-up to reveal the Giant Soldier of Stone, which was in no time sitting in his Graveyard. "And now I'll summon my Bistro Butcher (ATK: 1800), and I'll use it to destroy your other face down card!" Joey growled as his Skull Red Bird appeared, then shattered, as it got sliced by the Bistro Butcher's knife.

"Damn you…"

"Your Life Points now stand at 7000. I finish my turn."

"Great…" Joey looked at his drawn card. _#Heavy storm…#_ "Okay Kamu, I'll place down one monster in face down defence position and end my turn."

"So soon?" Kamu said tauntingly, before drawing his own card. "I'll place one monster face down on the field, and now I'll attack /your/ face down monster with my Bistro Butcher!"

"Ha ha ha, you dummy!" Joey laughed, flipping up his card. "You just activated my Man-Eater Bug, and I think I'll use it to destroy your face down card…" Joey watched as Kamu placed the card in the Graveyard, and then did the same with his Man-Eater Bug.

"I end my turn."

"So soon?" Joey said mockingly, drawing a card. "I place this card face down and end my turn." Kamu nodded, before drawing a card from his deck.

"I place one monster face down and attack your life points directly!" Joey yelled as the miniature Bistro Butcher jumped up and slashed at his chest, causing him to gasp with pain.

"Uh…ow…" Joey watched as he saw his life points drop to 5200, and groaned.

"I end my turn." Joey drew a card and suddenly felt a lot happier.

"This card'll win it for me…okay, here we go! First of all I place this monster on the field, Copycat! It allows me to copy the attack and defence of one of my opponent's monsters on the field! And I'll copy your Bistro Butcher." Joey's once very small Copycat suddenly became a lot larger, easily outgrowing the Bistro Butcher in size. "And I'll also activate my Ultimate Offering card to summon my Skull Red Bird, losing 500 Life Points. Now I have 4700 Life Points. And now, I'll activate this magic card, United We Stand!"

"Oh…"

"Yes, _oh_! It allows me to boost a monster's attack points of my choice by 800 points for every monster on my side of the field! Now my Skull Red Bird's attack power has risen from 1550 to 3150! And now, with this card I'll attack your Bistro Butcher! It has more than enough power to finish it off…" The huge Skull Red Bird launched itself at the Bistro Butcher, and landed rather comically on its head, squashing it into oblivion. "And now I'll attack your face-down monster with my Copycat!" Joey watched as he saw a Morphing Jar, and sighed with annoyance as it got destroyed.

"Now you have to send all of the cards in your hand to the Graveyard."

"Yeah, great, so do you." Joey placed his 'Heavy Storm' card in the Graveyard and drew a new hand, smiling as he saw every new one come into his hand. _#Trap Hole… Graceful Charity… Mystical Elf… 7 Colored Fish… and Vorse Raider! Good cards.# _"I'll activate this card, Graceful Charity! It allows me to draw three new cards from my deck, and then I have to discard two from my hand to the Graveyard." Joey's new cards were Anti-Raigeki, Battle Ox and Harpie's Feather Duster. He discarded his Mystical Elf and Anti-Raigeki, loosing 500 Life Points for each one because Kamu's 'Magic Thorn' card was still in play. "And I place one card face down." He said placing down Trap Hole. "And I end my turn."

"Good." Kamu drew a new card. "I will place my White Magical Hat in attack mode!"

"And I activate my trap card, Trap Hole!" Joey watched as Kamu's White Magical Hat got shattered into tiny pieces, before he placed the card in the Graveyard.

"Good move."

"Uh-huh, I rule!"

"I'm not finished yet." Joey looked at him apologetically before falling silent. "I'll activate this card, Delinquent Duo! At the cost of 1000 Life Points, that is."

"Not before I use this!" Joey quickly flipped over one of his face down cards. "Magic Jammer! In return for discarding a card from my hand," He said as he placed his Battle Ox in the Graveyard, "I get to negate the activation of your magic card! Ha, beat that!"

"Fine." Joey seemed worried by the fact that Kamu remained unfazed, and took another card from his hand. "Then I activate this card, Premature Burial. I'll use it to bring back my Summoned Skull."

"Ooohhh… lovely…" Joey's eyes widened as the relatively large Summoned Skull rose up in front of him, flinching as it flapped its wings and screeched at him. "Heh… Nice Skull-ey…"

"And I'll use it to destroy your Copycat!" Joey almost banged his head on the table as he watched his Copycat shatter.

"You fought well, brave warrior!" Joey said, straightening up as his resolve tightened. _#I've got to win this…for Marik's sake…I can't let him die!#_

"I place one more card face down and end my turn."

"Yah-huh…" Joey looked at the card he drew. _#Huh, not much use…#_ He placed in his hand and rifled through it. "Okay, Kamu…first of all I'll activate this Magic card, Harpie's Feather Duster! It destroys all of your magic and Trap cards that you have on the field! And, because you brought back your Summoned Skull using Premature Burial, it gets destroyed too! So now you are completely defenceless!" Kamu gathered all the cards on his field and placed them in the Graveyard. "And now I summon 7 Colored Fish to the field (ATK: 1800)! Now my Skull Red Bird's attack power has gone back up to 3150!" Joey grinned with relief.

"You're dead. First, I attack your life points directly with my 7 Colored Fish!" His fish flopped up and smacked Kamu in the face, before what looked liked it laughed and fell back onto the table again. "And this one's for Marik…I attack your Life Points directly with my Skull Red Bird! Go Skull-ey, show 'em who's boss!" His Skull Red Bird gave a loud shrieking noise before flapping its huge wings and flying upwards. It flew higher and higher, until it was level with Marik on the wall. In shrieked again, before dive-bombing directly at Kamu's heart.

"ARGH!" Kamu screamed, before falling backwards off his seat in slow-mo as the Skull Red Bird went right through him.

"I win! Marik's been saved! Never underestimate the power of the Chihuahua!" He looked up at Marik and grinned as his eyes slowly opened, looking drearily at the room around him. "Marik! You're alright!" Joey ran up to him just as the bondages holding him to the wall disappeared, and so fell, only to land safely in Joey's arms.

"Joey…where am I?" He asked, squinting up at his face.

"Somebody tell /me/. Sorry, I have no idea. You okay to walk?" Marik shook his head.

"It feels like all my joints have been pulled out of their sockets…" Marik whispered, before sighing and closing his eyes.

"Well, at least your safe now… And at least I'm not alone."

* * *

When Yugi woke up, he froze as he felt he was no longer lying on the ground. He opened his eyes to find that he was staring up at a white ceiling, almost too bright to look at. He felt around with hands to find that he was lying on a mattress, and upon further inspection found he was lying in a bed.

"What…? How did I get here?" Yugi sat up and looked around, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute. "Hello?" Yugi called softly, examining the bare white walls as he looked for a door. He turned to find that it was right behind his bed, also painted white. He looked at himself to find that he had been dressed in white pyjamas, and his normal clothes were nowhere to be seen. "Err…anyone? Hello?" He got out of the bed and flinched as his feet touched the cold white floor, curling his toes as he walked forward to the door.

Just as Yugi reached it, he noticed a pair of white slippers by the head of the bed; so he slipped them on, and marvelled at how warm they were. Moving on from this thought though, he looked back at the door and placed his hand on the knob, turned it and watched as it flew silently open. Yugi stepped through and blinked as he tried to absorb all that he was seeing.

He had just walked into a huge room, more like a hall then anything else, and over the walls were various decorations, from old antique paintings to computers sitting on desks. On the floor there were throws and animal skins (which Yugi immediately turned away from; he hated animal rugs), soft fluffy carpets and bare wooden floor. It was a room that was designed to destroy, or rebel against some sort of system. In a way the room was just too strange to like; but it was nice in the way that it was different to everything else you would see normally.

"Hello?" Yugi called again, venturing further into the room. He stopped when he heard a creaking over by the fireplace, which currently had a brilliantly warm fire burning away in the hearth. He carried on walking, figuring he wouldn't exactly be in trouble for it; after all, they had _taken_ him there in the first place. "Hello?"

"Yugi!"

"You're awake!" Yugi groaned as he heard the familiar voices; ones that he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Para and Dox…" Yugi said as they jumped up from their chairs, greeting him with glorious grins. They were wearing their traditional clothes; Para was wearing his bright orange coat and trousers, and Dox was wearing green. Yugi backed away slightly before asking, "What am I doing here?"

"Ah ha! I bet you weren't expecting us-"

"Were you?"

"No…I wasn't." Yugi looked down at the floor. "What are you doing here? This isn't the real world, is it?"

"No,"

"It isn't! Only people,"

"Who have crossed Pegasus' path,"

"Get sent here!"

"But then, why are you two here?" Yugi asked, still feeling uncertain.

"Because we failed,"

"In our job!"

"To stop you,"

"From reaching his castle!"

"But that was ages ago…" Yugi whispered, remembering back to when it happened. "But I don't understand. Why are you helping me?"

"Because we don't like Pegasus anymore!"

"Yes, because he betrayed us!"

"Uh-huh…" Yugi felt the depression rising in him again.

"Why the long face, Yugi?"

"Yes, safe you now are!" Yugi sighed and sat down on one of the chairs, sitting back and pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Because…"

"Because…?"

"I miss…I miss Yami…and Ryou…and Bakura…" Yugi broke into tears as he was saying this. "I don't know if I'll ever see them again!"

"Ah, don't worry Yugi!"

"Yes, they are coming for you!"

"They are? How do you know?" Yugi sobbed, lying down on his side on the large chair and curling himself up into a ball.

"Because we've seen them!"

"You have?"

"Yes! We can show them to you!"

"How?" Yugi lifted his head up and saw them pointing to something on the wall. "What's that?"

"It allows us to see everything in this world!"

"Whatever we want to see, we see it!"

"Come, we will show you!" Yugi sat up and slid off the chair, walking over to the thing on the wall they were still pointing at. He took one of the cushions that were on the chair with him, hugging it tightly as he stared up a screen.

"Watch this…" Yugi stared as the screen flickered into life, showing a zoomed out picture of some sort of cave, and Yugi could just about make out some tiny figures moving in the middle of it. "And now, we zoom _in_!" Yugi gasped as the picture suddenly changed to one of four people walking; one was in front, two were in the middle and one was trailing behind.

"And now we go closer…" Yugi started crying again when he saw it was Yami at the front, making him pine for him even more.

"Yami…" Yugi watched as Yami stopped, apparently having just sensed something.

"He's near…" Yugi was surprised as he heard Yami's voice resound around the room, as if he was standing right behind him.

"Yami…" Yugi reached his hand out towards the screen, touching Yami's face with his finger. Yugi smiled sadly as Yami paused, reaching up his hand to touch his face exactly where Yugi had his finger placed on it. "I love you Yami…"

"I'll always love you, Yugi." Yami was now staring directly at Yugi, as if he could see him. And in his eyes, Yugi could see nothing but love and sadness.

"What…?" Yugi stretched his hand so it was over Yami's, as if he was only so far from touching him.

"I'll always love you…" And then the screen went blank. Yugi fell to his knees and cried into his cushion, missing Yami even more than he did before.

"Yami…please come…come soon." Yugi hugged his cushion tightly as he curled himself up on the floor, making himself comfortable in the extremely fluffy carpet.

* * *

"Should we wake him?"

"No! Let's move him onto the chair."

"Good idea, brother!" Para and Dox carefully lifted Yugi up from the floor, first of all making sure that he was asleep, before placing him onto the chair with his pillow. They took a blanket from a hidden cabinet and covered him with it, just leaving part of his face poking cutely out of the top.

"What a fine sight for this 'Yami' to see!"

"Yes, very pleased he will be!"

"Yami is a lucky man!"

"Yes, he is! Luckier than we!" They chuckled as they walked towards a door, taking one look back at their 'masterpiece' before walking out of the room.

* * *

Luff: Aww, wasn't that so bless? Sorry, I couldn't resist putting the Paradox Brothers in. They were meant to be in there originally though, so it isn't something that's completely random!

Yugi: Why are you making me cry! No fair!

Luff: #sigh# Just accept it.

Yugi: #cries#

Luff: Anyway, what did you think of the duel? I know it isn't really any of the cards Joey has; I used my own deck that I have on my 'Worldwide Edition' game. It was based on an actual duel I had! It took me about an hour to write it all out! And the deck Kamu was using was Marik's deck from 'Worldwide Edition'. See, that's how lazy I am. But it did take a long time! I thought it was quite good, anyway. Please tell me what you think, and I promise to update soon!


	16. Fortune Faded

I will no longer be doing author's notes or reviewer replies because of the new guidelines on this site. Sorry!

* * *

**Episode 16 – Fortune Faded**

"Yami…" Ryou groaned as he walked faster to catch up with him. "Are we any closer to Yugi yet?"

"Yes, for the tenth time." Yami said through gritted teeth; Ryou was starting to get on his nerves.

"Well, sorry for being worried about Yugi…" Ryou said angrily, falling back to walk with Bakura. "God, what's up with him?" He grumbled, getting annoyed with Yami's constant snapping.

"Maybe you should just leave him…" Bakura said, trying to sound as non-offensive as possible.

"Hmph."

"Well, just stop _asking_ him about Yugi all the time, then. Leave him alone."

"Fine."

"Hey, don't worry… We'll find Yugi. Yami knows what he's doing." Ryou sighed, and then nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Bakura reached for Ryou's hand and held it tightly. "But what about…Joey?"

When Seto heard Joey's name, he perked up; he sped up, so it was easier for him to hear what they were saying.

"Well, I don't know really… We have no idea where he is. When we find Yugi, maybe then we'll know… But let's just concentrate on one thing at a time."

"Okay…" Ryou let go of Bakura's hand and slid it around his waist, leaning on his shoulder. Bakura smiled, placing his arm around Ryou's shoulders.

Seto frowned to himself as he fell back to walk by himself again.

#How can Yami be so sure that we're going to find Yugi? For all we know, he could be dead! And what if it's a trap? We could all die! In which case we wouldn't be any further ahead than we already are…but Ryou's right. We don't know where Joey is, and finding Yugi may help… But still, it doesn't make me any more confident!# Feeling more determined by his little talk to himself, Seto strode confidently onwards, resolving to help all he could.

"Hey, Ryou…" He said, catching up with him. Ryou turned to him, frowning when he saw him; but before he had the chance to speak, Seto cut across him. "Listen, I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier…I was just stressed. Can you forgive me?" Ryou looked curiously at him.

"Why the sudden change in attitude, Seto?"

"Well…I don't know, really. I just figured that me being…well, not very helpful wasn't going to get us anywhere very fast. So…I'm sorry."

"Well, it's all very good you apologising to me, but its Yami you need to say sorry to." Seto sighed. "Go on! He needs all the support he can get…"

As Seto caught up with him, Yami seemed to sigh.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Seto. You're right, I was being weak." Seto shook his head and placed a hand on Yami's shoulder.

"That's not what I came to you about. Well, not exactly." Yami looked at him.

"You want to apologise?" He paused. "Well, you don't have to. I know you're sorry, and so am I; that's all that matters. We need to stay together." Yami smiled kindly at him. "It's all that matters…"

Seto continued to walk ahead with Yami, his thoughts wandering to his so-called 'past'; how he was a high-priest in the great halls of the Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt; how he had ruled by Yami's side, and they and the five other Millennium Item holders had ruled over their country, guarding it against the dangers of the Shadow Realm. Well, Seto couldn't actually remember most of this. He only knew this from what Yami and others had told him about it, but he had steadily grown to believe it. How on earth could he have read the Ancient Egyptian text form the Winged Dragon of Ra card if he had no connection to Egypt itself? And he had a few memories… He could remember the glittering golden sands of Egypt shining in the sunlight; he remembered riding along the bank of the Nile on his horse; he remembered the grand halls of the Pharaoh's palace… But this was all vague to him. Just shadows of memories long since past.

"Yami…?" He asked tentatively, looking down at him.

"Hmm…?" He seemed distant, as if he was in his own world; but all the while he was frowning with concentration.

"Do you remember…you know, anything about…about your time?"

"Yes, I remember lots of things… And you know what?"

"What?" Yami smiled at him, before sighing and looking forward.

"Most of my memories have you in them…" Seto blushed a little, not sure if he should be pleased about this or not. "And you have your own memories, do you not?"

"Yes…a few. But they're very vague…"

"But not so vague that you don't believe them?"

"No…I didn't before, but now… I can't help but believe it." Yami nodded.

"Good, I'm glad you do. Perhaps some of our memories are the same…" Yami sighed again. "I remember…" Seto looked at him. "I remember when we were children…we were playing by the River. I tried to get something that was near the edge of the bank, but I slipped and fell in. I would have died if you hadn't pulled me out again, Seto. It's because of you I'm still alive today…" Seto stared wide-eyed at him, feeling a strange sensation run through his body. "I don't know why I remember that in particular, I just…do. Oh well, never mind."

Yami shrugged and picked up his pace, so that he was walking slightly ahead of Seto. He stared at him in wonder, asking himself whether Yami had just made it up to make him feel better, or whether he was actually telling the truth. He knew that he and Yami had been cousins, but…he still couldn't be sure. Well, at least he thought he had heard Yami mention that they were once, anyway.

Seto continued to think to himself, furrowing his brow in concentration. #I suppose I should trust Yami more than I do… But all of this seems… I don't know, surreal I suppose. I mean, how many people are there that just happen to be Ancient Egyptian Priests without even realising it? Maybe I'm just overreacting.#

"We should stop here." Yami announced, stopping by the edge of a large chasm and sitting down.

"Why?" Bakura asked as he and Ryou caught up with them.

"Because…it's going to take us at least another day to reach Yugi."

"What! I thought we were closer to him than that!"

"We're not far…its just going to take us some time to get across this chasm." Yami explained casually, waving his hand towards it. "And anyway, I expect you're all tired by now. We should get some sleep."

"Yeah, I've got to admit I am tired…" Bakura said wearily, sitting down next to Yami. Ryou sat down in his lap, while Seto sat down on Yami's other side and leant back against the wall behind them.

"What if something attacks us while we're asleep?" Ryou asked, the thought suddenly coming to his mind.

"Don't worry, I'll keep watch…" Yami said, yawning. Seto frowned.

"Don't be stupid, you look like you could fall asleep on your feet. I'll keep watch, you rest." Yami shook his head.

"No, I'll-"

"Look, if it makes you feel better we can take it in turns. I'll go first, then I'll wake you up and you can watch." Yami smiled, and nodded.

"And you, Bakura." Bakura nodded.

"Does anyone else have a watch apart from me?" He asked.

"Yes." Yami and Seto said in unison. They smiled at each other.

"I'll wake you up at twelve…" Seto said, checking his watch. "Its eight now… so we can do four hours each. Bakura, you can go at four."

"Okay…" Bakura yawned, before settling himself down with Ryou on the ground.

"Are you sure you're alright with going first?" Yami asked quietly, watching Seto as he made himself more comfortable next to him.

"Yes…"

* * *

Seto had managed to set himself into a trance-like state as he stared ahead of him, noticing any flicker of movement there happened to be. There was no air flowing where they were, so as a result it was overwhelmingly stuffy. Keeping himself awake was going to be a problem.

"Huh!" Seto jerked upwards as he felt something hit his arm, and looked down to see what it was. He sighed with relief though when he saw it was just Yami, who had fallen asleep and slumped sideways against him. Seto thought this would be a good time to check his watch, and saw that it was eleven thirty. #Half an hour…# Seto thought, before turning back and gazing at the wide space in front of them.

* * *

Joey held Marik as the world around them dissolved and then turned into the familiarity of the Snakes and Ladders board Joey had been in before. He looked down and found that he was back on square number five again, and then saw Kamu standing in front of him.

"As you won that last Game, you are allowed one reward; although you do not have any choice in it, I think you'll be grateful nonetheless."

"Okay…" The room once again dissolved, and a new room layout appeared; this time it was a bedroom, with two beds in the middle and a door leading to a bathroom.

"You may rest here. Get yourself clean. Do what you please in here; you will be given a limited amount of time, but it will be enough."

"Right…why?"

"Because it means you will have enough energy to complete all the challenges we will have for you tomorrow…" And with that he disappeared.

"Okay, this is just getting pointless…" Joey said, lifting Marik up onto one of the beds. "You okay?" Joey asked him.

"I don't know how long I've been here, but I reckon it's been long enough for me to have a bath…" Marik smiled. "I'll be fine." He got up, stumbled, and promptly fell over on the floor. "On second thoughts, maybe not…"

"Come on, then…" Joey lifted him up and carried him into the bathroom, closing the door with his foot behind him. "Uhh…" Joey moved Marik so that he was sitting on the edge of the bath, and stood in front of him, not sure of what to do.

"Uhh… I would do this by myself, but…currently I can't move very much." Said Marik, casting his gaze to the ground.

"Okay…" Joey moved forward and turned the taps of the bath on, checking it with his hand to make sure it was warm enough for Marik. "Is this alright for you?" Marik moved his hand so it was under the flow of water.

"Yes…thank you, Joey."

"That's okay!" Joey squeaked slightly when he saw Marik taking his top off, and quickly jumped up and turned around.

"What's wrong with you? It's not like you haven't seen anybody else naked before…" Marik said. "Or haven't you…?"

"Err, yeah, but this is kinda different!"

"Well, you don't have to worry Joey. I don't mind."

"Uh…okay…" Joey turned around, blushed bright red and spun around again. Marik had managed to strip himself of all his clothes, and was now standing with his back facing him, with no apparent guilt at standing completely naked in front of him. Joey heard a splash as Marik slid himself into the bath, and breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around again to find Marik laughing at him, and scowled with annoyance. "Hey, you may be alright with people staring at your manhood, but not everyone is like you!"

"Oh well." Marik said, shrugging. "That can only be a good thing. I mean, if everyone was the same, this world would be a very boring place."

"I suppose so." Joey paused. "Umm…you need any help?"

"Actually, now that you've mentioned it…yes, please!" Joey couldn't help but laugh, so he walked over to the bath and knelt down beside it.

"So…what do you need help with?"

"Err, everything. Well, washing…thing." Marik said, waving his hand around. Joey nodded.

"Okaaaay, soap…" Joey said, getting up and rummaging through one of the cupboards on the wall. It didn't take long, and soon Joey was rubbing it into a sponge he had also found. "Right, you hold this," Joey said, passing Marik the soap, "and I'll use this." Joey brandished the sponge. "Okay, lean forward…" Marik did as he was told and Joey started move the sponge over his skin, cleaning off the dirt and mud that had managed to stick itself to him.

"God, how did you get so dirty?" Joey asked through gritted teeth, scrubbing off a particularly tough bit of mud.

"Uhh, not sure about that one." Marik said, smiling. The more he tried to think about it, the more he remembered. "I keep seeing this face…"

"Face?"

"Yeah…I know it's important to me, but I can't put a name to it…"

"Well, tell me what it looks like." Joey watched Marik's face as he frowned to remember.

"It looks like…it looks like me." Marik laughed. "It's stupid, I know."

"No, it isn't." Marik looked at him in confusion.

"Why not? I don't know anyone who looks like me." Marik's smile faded as Joey looked at him seriously.

"You should. If I'm thinking of the right person…" Joey paused. "This person caused a lot of trouble for you. Tried to kill you."

"No, I don't think so." Marik said, shaking his head. "When I think of this face, I feel…love." Joey snorted.

"You couldn't love him…not in a million years…" Marik sighed, resting his head on his knees.

"Well, you could at least tell me his name."

"His name is, or was…Malik."

* * *

Malik stared with wide eyes at the screen as the words resounded around his head.

'"You couldn't love him…not in a million years…"

'"Well, you could at least tell me his name."

'"His name is, or was…Malik."'

"Marik…I'm sorry." Malik whispered, touching the screen in front of him. "This never should have happened to you." Malik turned away and sat on the floor, leaning his back against a wall. #I remember when all of this started…when we first fell in love… I promised you I would never let harm come to you, especially when Odion and Ishizu left you… They didn't understand what it was like, but you, Marik… You didn't care. You stayed with me because you loved me. I felt bad because this had made Odion and Ishizu leave, but you stood by my side… Never left me. You were willing to forgive the mistakes I had made, you accepted my apology for hurting you so before… But now… You'll never love me now. You never could. Not now Joey's told you that all I did was hurt you. If only I could change what had happened…

#When I first came back from the Shadow Realm, you were still angry with me. I understood, though. While I was in there, I had time to think about what I had done. At first I still hated you, but then I thought about how I never would have existed if it weren't for you… Then I realised how much I needed you, how much… I loved you. I finally managed to get out from the Shadow Realm, and went looking for you. I thought that you would understand, but you didn't. And over the time I took to explain everything to you, I grew fonder of you… And I'm just glad of the fact that you actually sat down and listened to me. Nobody else would have done that for me. But it was all pointless… You don't even remember our love. But even now, I will try my hardest to get you out of there…#

Malik felt a tear slide down his face as his memories came back to him. #Memory…that's what this whole game is about.# Malik wiped the tear away before standing up, turning to look at the screen again. He felt a great sadness as he watched Joey and Marik hugging, and felt no point in trying to stem his tears as he longed to hold Marik in his arms again…

#Joey…if only you knew… Just how sorry I am.# "I don't blame you…"


	17. I could die for you

**Episode 17 – I Could Die For You**

"Yami. Yami? Yami, wake up!" Seto gave Yami a violent shake.

"Wh-a-a-a-at?" He growled, sitting up. He blushed when he realised he had been sleeping against Seto's arm. "Oh, sorry." Yami yawned, shifting himself to get comfortable.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes, yes, yes." Yami said hastily. "I'm going to walk around a bit, it feels like I've been sitting here for months…" Yami got up and stretched, his spine clicking in several places. He winced, before slowly walking away from them.

"Don't go too far!" Seto called softly after him, before settling himself on the ground to sleep.

Yami nodded before continuing to walk, squinting to get his eyes to adjust to the dim light. He wasn't sure if there even _was_ a night or day time in the world they were in, but either way it was going to be dark.

He stopped by the edge of the chasm, trying to sense exactly where Yugi was. He could tell he was on the other side, but Yami could see no way of getting across. He would have to figure out a way, or he would never get Yugi back… At least he knew he was alive. And he was waiting for him. Yami hadn't been away from Yugi for very long, but he was already missing him so much that his heart ached whenever he thought about him.

Yami sat down at the edge of the chasm, dwelling in his own thoughts as he kept a sharp eye open for danger. Although he was impatient to get going, he knew he shouldn't go without the others. And though they hadn't seen anything when they were walking, he had been sure there were hidden dangers everywhere around them…Yami couldn't risk getting hurt or killed now. Not when Yugi was so close…

The hours seemed to drag on as Yami waited for the time to pass, growing ever more impatient by the minute. His heart beat with adrenalin at the prospect of being with Yugi; he yearned to hold him in his arms again, to love him…to kiss him.

At last, after what seemed like months, his time was up; so he stood up, stretched, and went to wake Bakura.

"Bakura…" he said quietly as he shook his shoulder. Bakura jerked upwards, causing Ryou to wake as well. Ryou groaned as he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Sorry Ryou…" Bakura murmured, kissing him on the cheek. Ryou smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

"You don't have to watch, Ryou." Yami whispered. Ryou shook his head.

"I want to stay with Bakura…"

Once Bakura had sat himself up against the wall, Ryou sat down in his lap, leaning his head on his chest. Yami smiled sadly at them before sitting down next to them, leaning his chin on his knees.

_#Are you okay, Yami?#_ Bakura asked, looking at him with concern.

_#Yeah…I just miss Yugi.#_

_#Hey, don't worry. We'll find him. We'll get him back…# _Bakura reached out and held Yami's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. He shifted so that he was closer to him, and leant his head against Yami's. _#We'll find him…#_

_#Thank you…#_ Yami closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep, his dreams filled with images of Yugi and him, together, and hopefully forever…

* * *

"Yami?" Yami opened his eyes to find that he was the only one still asleep, and heaved a sigh as he stood up and stretched again. 

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Half eight." Ryou said in reply.

"Half eight! We were supposed to set out half an hour ago! Come on!" Yami marched off ahead, leaving behind a very confused group of people.

"We're only late by half an hour…" Ryou said in a dazed voice.

"Oh well, come on." Seto said, running to catch up with Yami.

"So, what's your plan?" Bakura asked, peering down the considerably dark depths of the chasm.

"Err…haven't got one yet." Yami admitted, wrinkling his nose as he looked around the edge of the gorge. "We'll just have to work our way round…" So Yami set off again, squinting ahead to see if there was a path.

"I don't see any way of getting across, Yami…" Bakura said, coming up behind him and peering over his shoulder.

"Well, we'll have to find a way." Yami said stubbornly.

Yami was about to start walking again, when a loud, screeching sound resounded from the other side of the room (for lack of a better word). Yami yelled, covering up his ears; it sounded like someone was trying to badly tune a microphone, and it was magnified to a hundred times its normal volume.

"ARGH, will someone shut that thing up!" Ryou shouted after a while, who had fallen to his knees and covered both his ears tightly.

And then it stopped. Seto breathed a sigh of relief as he cautiously brought down his hands from his ears, looking over to the other side of the abyss.

"What _was_ that?" Ryou asked, standing up shakily. Bakura held onto him, making sure he didn't fall down.

"I don't know…" Yami said quietly.

"YOU WILL KNOW NOW THOUGH!"

"Uhh…what?" Yami asked as the voice echoed around them. It sounded strangely…familiar.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I know that laugh…" Ryou said with a groan, clutching his head in his hand.

"A SIMPLE ROUTE THERE IS TO PASS,"

"IF YOU WISH TO REACH YOUR YUGI,"

"THERE IS NO NEED TO TRAVEL FAST,"

"OR DANGER'LL COME IF YOU FLEE."

"Oh dear… The Paradox brothers…" Ryou said with a sigh.

"The who?" Seto and Bakura asked in unison.

"They were eliminators in Duelist Kingdom…"

"But that was ages ago!" Seto said, stunned. They stopped talking when they heard them continuing.

"BUT SEARCH YOU MUST TO REACH THE DOOR,"

"IN ORDER TO REACH HIM SAFELY."

"IF AT THE END THERE ARE OF YOU FOUR,"

"THEN YOU WILL BE RELIEVED GREATLY!"

"HOW much time do they spend on making these rhymes?" Seto asked, staring across the chasm in amazement.

"SO NOW IS THE TIME TO MOVE ON,"

"THEN YOU CAN BE WITH YOUR LOVER,"

"IF YOU WAIT THE PATH WILL BE GONE,"

"SO LOOK OUT A LITTLE FURTHER!"

"That doesn't even _rhyme_!" Ryou said, exasperated. "Lover and further… God."

"IT'S THE BEST WE COULD GET!"

"YES! BE GRATEFUL WE ARE HELPING YOU!"

"Yeah… Why are they helping us?" Yami said thoughtfully.

"That doesn't matter! Come on, let's go!" Bakura said, before walking along the ridge. Yami sighed, following him.

* * *

It took them at least two hours to find the door and walk through it to the other side, but when they had they felt happy and contented. Well, mostly. 

"Oh, I'm so _hungry_!" Ryou groaned, his stomach rumbling for the twentieth time.

"You're not the only one…" Bakura grumbled, holding his stomach as he dragged himself along the path.

"Oh come on, we'll be there soon enough…" Yami said reassuringly, slowing down so that they could catch up. Even Seto was starting to feel the effects of the lack of food, although he was trying his best not to show it.

"Yeah, let's hope so…" He muttered, arms crossed and head held high. Despite all this depression though, Yami was feeling considerably happy.

"Well, someone's in a good mood…" Bakura said gloomily as he caught site of Yami's face.

"Shouldn't I be?" Yami said, smiling. "Come on, if we're lucky we can get there in a few hours…"

"A FEW HOURS!" Bakura shouted, eyes wide with torment. "BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LAST THAT LONG!"

"Well, you'll just have to!" Yami said happily. Bakura growled.

"Stupid…need food…_not_ happy…" Bakura muttered to himself, causing Yami to giggle at him (whoa, Yami giggling!).

"Come on, quit whining…" Yami said, elbowing Bakura in the side.

"Ow…" Yami sighed, speeding up so he was at the front again.

"This is going to take a while…"

* * *

"Okay, so we're back here again…" Joey said, the Snakes and Ladders board reappearing around them. 

"Yup." Marik said, looking around. "Wow, this is weird…"

"Yeah…" Joey stood up and walked towards Marik. "Now, where's that Kamu-Kaji guy?"

"Right here." Joey yelled as Kamu's voice came from right behind him; he ran and hid behind Marik, peering cautiously over his shoulder. Kamu laughed a rich, bellowing laugh, shaking from head to foot.

"It's _not_ funny." Joey muttered. Marik snorted.

"You sure about that?"

"Come on, come on, stop arguing. Now, it is time for you to start…" The die that they had used the day before materialized in front of them, and as before Kamu picked it up, hurled it, and watched patiently to see what it landed on…

"Four!" With a scream Marik and Joey were pulled forward with an invisible force, which had grabbed them by their collars and dragged them along the board.

"Oh no…" Joey groaned as the word 'Forgiveness' and a large ladder rose in front of them, and before they knew what was happening they were being pulled up it, knees knocking against the rungs.

"Ow, ow, OW!" Marik said as he went up, and with an 'umph' they fell flat on their faces on the next square.

"Ah, ow…it feels like my knee's been crushed…" Joey said, nursing his leg delicately.

"It probably has been…" Marik said, wincing with pain. They looked down to find they were now on square number 31, a considerably large way up from where they had been.

"Oh well, at least it's an improvement." Joey said. Marik nodded. "Hey, look…" Joey said, pointing to a word that had appeared in front of them. "Affection…What d'you suppose that means?"

"Forgiveness…leads to affection." Joey looked nonplussed. "Maybe it means something…"

"Perhaps someone wants forgiveness…" Joey said, frowning. "But I can't think who…"

"Hmm…" For a moment a picture of Malik crossed Marik's mind, but he shook the thought out; he didn't think it was him. Although, somewhere inside him…

"Hey, Marik! C'mon!"

"'Kay…" Marik walked with Joey to the edge of the square, a questioning look on his face. "What now?"

"Dunno. That's what I'm going to find out. OY, KAMU! What're we doing?"

"Patience, Mr Wheeler…" Kamu picked up the die again, threw it, and watched.

"Five!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" This time they seemed to whiz along at lightning speed, not even having the time to prepare themselves for what came next.

"Huh…" Joey looked up to see the word 'Penitence' hovering above them before a ladder rose up from the board, and in no time they were being pulled up that as well. "Oh, can't we just _walk_!" Joey growled as he sat up, almost despising this as he saw the word 'Reconciliation'. "I have no idea what that means…"

"Penitence means to be sorry, or to apologise; and Reconciliation means to make up. So apologising leads to compromise…" Marik looked thoughtful. "Well, that makes sense."

"What square are we on?" Joey looked hazily down at the board. "Ugh… forty four."

"Yup. Hey, don't worry! It means we don't have that far to go until one hundred…"

"Ugh…" Joey continued to moan, holding his head in his hands.

"Oh, come on…" Marik pulled him up by his arm, and walked to the edge of their square.

* * *

"Marik…please forgive me…" _#Pegasus, you will pay for what you have done to him…#_ Malik clenched his hands. _#He didn't deserve this…it was my fault. Why couldn't he just leave him!#_ Malik fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands, his anger growing out of control. 

"PEGASUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!" Malik screamed, and with a flash of light the screen he was watching exploded, glass flying everywhere. He shook with anger as he stormed out of the room, clutching the Millennium Rod tightly in his hand. "YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO HIM!" He roared, bursting in through a door to Pegasus' room.

"Oh, will I?" Pegasus' patronising voice said from the corner of the room.

"Why am I even doing what you want! You didn't keep your promise, Pegasus! YOU DIDN'T KEEP IT!" Malik was fuming.

"Tut, tut, tut. Where is your patience?"

"I knew you were trouble from the moment I saw you!" Pegasus smirked. "You promised us a chance to be back together as a family with Odion and Ishizu! I didn't trust you, but I was willing to do _anything_ to make Marik happy! ANYTHING! How would you like it if someone went up to you and promised to give _you_ something that you wanted, and then totally destroyed you life with not a care for your feelings!" Pegasus' smirk dropped instantly.

"How would _you_ know what I want?" He said menacingly.

"How! HOW! It's what everyone in the fucking WORLD wants! LOVE! I know about your life…about your love, Cecilia…how she died! Do you think this is what she wants, huh! Do you think she wants you to destroy other people's love! Just because yours was struck down, doesn't mean you can do it to everyone else! You're not the only one who _matters_ in this world! Face the facts, SHE'S NOT GOING TO COME BACK, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! JUST LIVE WITH IT!" Malik turned on his heel and flew out, breathing heavily from his shouting. All he wanted was for Pegasus to _understand_, but no matter what he did, Pegasus had never listened to him before. He had had enough.

"Don't worry Marik…" Malik whispered in a hoarse voice. "I'll get you out of there…" He turned around a corner and disappeared out of sight.


	18. On Mercury

Note: Please read note in profile! Thank you.

* * *

**Episode 18 – On Mercury**

"Yami, we've been going for AGES…" Ryou whined, stopping and leaning against a wall. "You said it would only be a few hours!" Yami turned back and sighed, walked to where Ryou was and slipped his arm around his body.

"Come on, Ryou…we're not far now. And I mean it this time." Yami smiled at him, pulling Ryou along slightly to get him to move.

"Thanks, Yami…"

Bakura was lagging behind with Seto, wishing he could walk faster so that he could stop and rest. However, he knew that if he did stop, he probably wouldn't be able to get back up again.

"I hope Yami's right…I don't think these legs will willingly support me for much longer…" Bakura mumbled, squinting at Yami and Ryou walking in front of them.

"Yeah…I think I agree with you this time." Seto looked up from staring at his feet, apparently trying to will them to move faster.

"What's the time?"

"Half three…" Seto said, checking his watch.

"We've been walking for…" Bakura paused for a moment. "Seven hours! Ugh, that's bad…not good for the soul." Seto laughed. "I'm being perfectly serious! I know it just sounds lazy, but I don't really have the need to walk for miles and miles at a time any more…"

"Yeah…" Seto smirked, before suddenly grabbing Bakura's arm and running at full pelt towards Yami and Ryou.

"SETO! WHAT'RE YOU DOING!" Bakura yelled as he tried to stop, but it was to no avail; soon they were way ahead of Yami and Ryou, and they weren't stopping, either. "SETO! STOP!" Bakura looked petrified as a great wall of whiteness loomed ahead of them, growing ever closer with each step. He dug his heels into the ground and pulled Seto back, crying out as both he and Seto were sent crashing down on the ground. "Ow…"

Bakura sat up and looked at the white wall, which was now only a few feet away from where they lay.

"What's that?" Seto asked as he stood up, walking unsteadily towards it as he ventured to find out.

"Wait, I wouldn't go so close…" Said Yami, who had finally managed to catch up with them, Ryou trailing close behind. "Let me see…" Yami walked towards it cautiously, searching all over the wall with his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked as he helped Bakura up.

"Yeah…"

They watched as Yami searched, waiting impatiently for the verdict.

"There's something here…" Yami said, pausing at a point in the middle of the wall. He ran his fingers over the surface, and found what he was looking for. "There's a door here!" He found the edge of the door, and tried to pull it open; but it remained sealed.

"Do you think we should go in there? It could be dangerous." Seto said, walking over to Yami to see the door for himself.

"I don't think there is any danger here…" Yami smiled. "Yugi is close. He's in there…"

"Are you sure?" Ryou said, also walking forward. Yami nodded.

"Yes…I can feel him."

"Are you sure the hunger isn't getting to your head?" Bakura said, feeling Yami's forehead. Yami looked at him critically.

"Excuse me, but I'm not the one who's been complaining about how hungry they are all the way here…" Bakura seemed to be considering what he said.

"Yes, there is always that…" He said, nodding his head.

"Okay, so somehow we're going to get this thing open…" Yami took a step towards it, dug his fingernails under the crack of the door, and pulled on it as hard as he could. After a few seconds he pulled back, hissing with pain.

"What's wrong?" Bakura asked, looking slightly worried. Yami frowned, before showing the end of his fingers to him. The skin had been scraped of the end of each one, and blood was now trickling down them. "Ow…"

"Yeah…" Yami turned back to the wall. "We have to get in…" His voice sounded desperate now; the prospect of never seeing Yugi again… Yami shook the thought from his head; he didn't want to think it. He would see Yugi again.

"Maybe we should use our Items…" Bakura suggested, the Ring flashing on his chest.

"Maybe…" Yami stared at his Puzzle for a moment, before turning back to the door again. "But mine won't be so powerful without Yugi's…"

"That doesn't matter." Bakura beckoned to Ryou, taking his hand when he reached him. "We'll need your help, too."

"Right." Ryou and Bakura flashed, and in a moment Bakura had disappeared, leaving only Ryou standing there. "Okay, let's try this…" Ryou walked and stood next to Yami, turning sharp eyes on the crack of the door.

"Ready?"

"Yes…" Ryou and Yami started to glow, Yami red and Ryou blue. They concentrated all their energy on one point on the door, which began to crack and crumble under the beams. With a bit more effort, the door began to creak open, slowly at first but it grew faster and finally slammed against the wall.

"We're in…" Seto said as he cautiously approached the door.

"Yeah!" Bakura said jovially as he reappeared by Ryou's side.

"Be careful…" Ryou said as Bakura walked towards the door, following him slowly.

"Don't worry!" And Bakura was gone through the door.

"Uh, Bakura…wait!" Ryou ran in after him, wanting to stay as close to him as possible.

"Come on, Seto…" Yami said, before walking in after the two white-haired boys.

"Okay…"

* * *

"They are coming, brother!" 

"Indeed they are! We should greet them!"

"No! Let them see Yugi first…"

Para and Dox watched the screen as they saw Bakura, Ryou, Yami and Seto walk in through the doorway they had just opened.

"Come, brother; let us go…"

* * *

"Yami, slow down!" Bakura panted as he ran to catch up with him; Yami had been running as soon as he sensed Yugi was nearby, and had not stopped for anyone. 

_#Yugi…#_ Yami thought desperately as he ran towards the next door; this place seemed to be /made/ of them. _#Please be okay…#_

Yami burst in through the door to find himself in the strangest room he had ever been in; decorated with the most interesting and curious things, and things that certainly didn't go with each other. As if it was made to rebel… But he didn't stop to think as he started walking across the room towards the fireplace. Yugi was so close…

Yami gasped as saw Yugi curled up on one of the armchairs, his head poking out of the top of the blanket that was covering him. He noticed how cute Yugi looked, and blushed slightly as he knelt by his side.

"Yugi…" Yami reached out a hand stroked his face, running his thumb across his cheek. "I'm here now…Yugi…" He leant forward and kissed his cheek, resting his forehead against Yugi's.

"He's okay…" Ryou said with relief.

"Yeah… I knew he would be." Bakura smiled at Ryou.

"Hmm…" Ryou and Bakura hugged as Seto watched on sadly, missing Joey more than he thought possible.

_#Joey… I'll get you back…# _

_

* * *

_

Yugi woke up with his eyes closed. He frowned when he realised there was something pressed against his head, so he opened his eyes and cried when he saw it was Yami.

"Yami!" Yugi leapt up and hugged Yami tightly, crying into his shoulder.

"It's okay Yugi…" He held Yugi gently in his arms, nuzzling his cheek as he waited for him to calm down. He lifted Yugi into his lap as he sat down on the chair, covering him with the blanket that he had thrown off when he had leapt up.

"You came…" Yugi whispered, sobbing quietly into Yami's neck. "I knew you would…"

"Of course I did… I promised you I'd never let you go, didn't I?" Yugi nodded his head, a small smile spreading across his face.

"You did…and you kept that promise, Yami. Thank you…"

They sat like this for a while, enjoying each other's company. But soon Yami began to worry; he had no idea where this place was, or if it was even /safe/.

"Yugi…how did you get here?"

"I don't know." He replied quietly, too content with snuggling as close to Yami as possible.

"Is this place safe? Who lives here? If anyone…"

"It's safe…they showed you to me…"

"What?" Yami frowned with confusion. "Who are you talking about, Yugi?"

"You know…"

"No, I don't…" Yami shivered as a draft of cold air blew past him as the door they came in through opened and shut, announcing the arrival of more people. Yami tried to look around, but the back of the chair was blocking his view; so he lifted Yugi up slightly, standing just enough so he could see over the top…

"At last!"

"You have come!" Yami sweatdropped.

"Para…and Dox. What a /pleasant/ surprise…" Yami said sarcastically, sighing and sitting back down as they walked around to stand in front of him.

"You should be grateful-"

"to us! We rescued-"

"your Yugi from being eaten!" Yami looked questioningly at them.

"What?" He stared coldly at them; they had been a threat before, so why not now? He looked down though when he felt Yugi wriggle in his lap, and saw his face peering up at him.

"You can trust them, Yami…" Yami stared blankly at him.

"Why should I?"

"It's true…they did save me. When I woke up for the first time, I was out in the open…all alone…" Yugi was now whispering in Yami's ear, as if only wanting him to hear. "So lonely…" Yami frowned again, but this time with concern.

"Aibou, are you alright?"

"Yes…I'm not alone anymore…"

Yami looked up at the Paradox brothers with confusion, getting more and more anxious by the second. Yugi was curling himself up in his lap, as if he was seeking comfort from him…

"Yugi…" But he didn't reply. Yami scowled, before turning his angry gaze up at the brothers.

"What have you done to him? He wasn't like this before…"

"This is not of our doing!"

"This world is what's causing it!"

"Well if it is, it's driving him mad inside…" Yami placed a hand on the side of his face, as if protecting him from the dangers of the world they were in. He decided to see if his theory was true, so he delved into their soul rooms and seeked out his younger self in the mess it had become…

* * *

Yami stepped into the corridor between their soul rooms and looked to the left, hoping to see the normally clean and innocent looking door to Yugi's room that usually stood open, welcoming people in… 

Although it was still clean, it had become strangely cold. Yami approached the door carefully, not wanting to be attacked by some sort of mental defence that Yugi may have prepared. To his surprise though, there was no attack; and Yugi's door was firmly shut, leaving no way for him to get in.

Yami reached his hand forward and touched the ice-cold door with the tip of his fingers, frowning at the sensation. However, he found that the door yielded to his grasp when he placed his hand on the handle and pushed it open, gasping in horror at what was inside.

The whole room had seemingly been /decorated/ with ice, and intricate designs surrounded the walls that had been engraved into the ice; but upon further inspection, these were pictures that showed nightmares and hidden fears that had long since been forgotten…

And right in the furthest corner of the room was Yugi, sitting with his knees drawn to his chest and rocking back and forth.

"Yugi…" Yami walked towards him, and as he did so he noticed that the ice that surrounded him melted as he went past. Steam rose up behind him, apparently from the heat that he was producing.

"Yami…" Yugi whispered, making Yami stop in his tracks. He watched as Yugi lifted his head up, and saw that there were frozen tears on his face; and if he was breathing, his breath must have been as cold as the room itself, for there was no steam rising from his mouth like there was from Yami's. Yami glanced quickly glanced behind him and noticed that the room had re-frozen itself, leaving no evidence that he had just walked in. He shivered as he felt the cold pressing in around him, as if it were trying to trap him… "You should never have come in here…" Yugi's voice had become fainter, as if something was trying to stifle him.

"Why Yugi?" Yami was surprised to find that his voice had become equally as quiet, as if someone had stuffed some cotton wool down his throat.

"He's trying to…trying to…" But Yugi seemed unable to continue; his voice cracked, and he became silent.

"Yugi, tell me!" Although Yami had been shouting this, it was no louder than a whisper when the words had finally reached past his lips. Yami knelt down and took Yugi up in his arms, holding him tightly as he tried his best to warm him up. _#Yugi…please…#_ he said mentally, in the hopes that his mind was still conscious.

_#Him…he's doing this to us, Yami…#_

_#You mean Malik?#_ Yami asked quickly, hoping to get a response before Yugi passed out.

_#No… Nooooo…#_ Yugi was wailing now, as if he was fighting something that had intruded his mind. Yami shivered, the feeling of being watched suddenly flowed through his body.

_#Yugi…what's going on?#_

_#Please…nooooo…stop…#_ Yugi was shaking uncontrollably in his arms, his breathing becoming quicker and more ragged. _#Make him go away Yami…make him go…#_

_#Who! Yugi, tell me!#_ Silence followed this request. Yami stared at him through wide eyes, hoping that nothing had happened…nothing had gone wrong…

But his mind was becoming foggy; he could no longer concentrate on what was happening to him. He vaguely heard the door of Yugi's soul room slam shut behind him, and a voice…so faint, so very very faint…but it was so familiar. So /horribly/ familiar…

"I will have you…Yugi…"


End file.
